Which of the following was NOT a viewing option at an Elizabethan public theatre?

a. standing in the balcony

b. sitting in the onstage chairs

c. sitting in the covered gallery

d. standing in the open courtyard

Correct option: B. Sitting in the onstage chairs

Explanation:

The Elizabethan public theatre that was used in summer did not have chairs on stage for people to sit on, it had the courtyard where the "groundlings" would be standing (this was the cheapest ticket), and surrounding the stage, behind the courtyard there were balconies where people of a higher social class could be. Nowadays, you can even rent a cushion so that you are more comfortable.

On the stage of the public theatre, only actors were allowed. However, the private (winter) theatre, was very different, it was smaller, it had a roof and you could sit on the sides of the stage.