The Physical World of the Stage

    In 1697, The Innocent Mistress was first staged and performed at Little Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. The English Restoration period was heavily influenced by the French. Theatre during the English Restoration was characterized by having lavish designs and risky humor. Theatre now more than ever was focused on the spectacle aspect. During this rapidly-evolving period, there was a big shift from outdoor theaters to indoor theaters. Having indoor theaters allowed for the use of artificial lighting and moving scenery, which really heightened the viewing experience. Props also became more popular during this time. The sets were now mobile which allowed for scene changes, a concept not really brought to light thus far. In The Innocent Mistress, there are a few instances in which scene changes/set changes would have been necessary, such as when one scene ends with the characters outside and the next scene begins in Bellinda's house. Because of artificial light, performances also could now be had at any time of day; they did not have to rely on natural light anymore. Not having a time constraint gave practitioners more flexibility. 

    Architecturally, these newer indoor theaters had very high ceilings and a closed roof. Theaters were also very long and sometimes narrow. Having the theaters enclosed made it so there was less seating. These theaters had pit seats, which were on the ground level, and box seats, which were on the side walls The box seats were the more expensive and desirable of the two. Pictured below is the Little Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, which had all of these architectural characteristics. 

https://danceinhistory.com/tag/lincolns-inn-fields-theatre/

Little Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre

https://brewminate.com/londons-17th-century-restoration-indoor-theater/

Drury Lane Theatre  

    The importance of spectacle and lavish design also applies when discussing the costumes of the English Restoration and more specifically The Innocent Mistress. Audiences during this time period wanted realism. English people, particularly women, were recognized during this time period to be very well dressed, especially if one was of a higher class and/or royalty. French influence was also very relevant in terms of fashion and costumes, as well. The fashion during this time period was very much influenced by French-court fashion, which was also notorious for being incredibly luxurious and grand. The fashion in 1690s England was characterized by big, lavish outfits that were intricately detailed and made from expensive fabrics, including silk. The actors in this play dressed how their characters would have dressed; for instance, Lady Beauclair would have worn very lavish and fancy dresses that a wealthy women in restoration England would have worn, similar to the picture below.

http://websites.umich.edu/~ece/student_projects/early_theater/costume.html

    

http://websites.umich.edu/~ece/student_projects/early_theater/costume.html

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/350014202269022132/

    The unfortunate problem with audiences wanting realism and English fashion being so luxurious and expensive is that often, actors had to purchase their own costumes. Theatre started getting more funding during this time period, as its popularity grew, so sometimes theatre companies supplied actors with costumes. Often, though, actors had to come up with costumes by themselves.