“At the Arras”: What Is the Location Implied in This Phrase?

Abstract

Abstract:Although early modern stage directions provide very few explicit references to a central opening in the tiring-house wall, they might actually contain many references to this architectural feature. This article considers the possibility that some simple phrases containing the term “arras,” “hangings,” or “curtain[s]”––such as “behind the arras/hangings/curtain[s]” and “at the arras”––were regularly used to refer to such a central opening. It focuses on the phrase “at the arras,” which is found in five playtexts related to the King’s Men in six stage directions that obviously derive from the company’s bookkeepers. By examining entrances and exits made in relevant scenes in relation to the use of stage doors, and by exploring the fundamental nature of the language of the tiring-house, this article shows that in all six examples the organization of stage traffic and arrangement of stage furniture necessitate an opening covered by the “arras” hanging between the two stage doors. It thus concludes that, at least in the 1620s and 1630s, at the Globe and Blackfriars, “at the arras” and “behind the arras/hangings/curtain[s]” specifically provide evidence of a central covered opening in the tiring-house façade.