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Elizabethan actors wore elaborate and symbolic costumes that indicated the character's social status and profession. The emphasis on costume helped to visually convey the story and character identities to the audience.

Actors often had to play multiple roles within a single performance, requiring versatility and quick changes. This convention affected the manner of acting and the structure of the plays, often having characters distinctively recognizable.

This stage design, which extends into the audience on three sides, facilitated intimacy and interaction with the audience, and required a more dimensional performance style from the actors.

Actors often broke the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience, a method that made the audience complicit in the action and heightened their involvement in the dramatic experience.

Music and sound were performed live, setting the mood and atmosphere. They played a pivotal role in compensating for the lack of advanced visual effects, enriching the sensory experience of the audience.

Only men were allowed to perform on stage, which meant young boys often played female roles. This practice affected casting decisions, costume design, and the audience's suspension of disbelief.

A common feature where a character speaks their internal thoughts aloud, often directly to the audience. This convention revealed characters' inner lives and motivations and established a unique form of audience engagement.

Elizabethan theater relied on sparse sets and visual cues, requiring audiences to use their imagination. This spurred the use of descriptive language and storytelling within the play's text to set scenes.

The presence of groundlings, who were spectators standing in the pit, influenced performances by necessitating larger-than-life acting and ensuring that even the furthest viewer could follow the play.