ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that despite everything people don't know about who was actually responsible for each of the stage directions on which it draws, nevertheless they do seem to reflect the same sort of spatial organization previously evidenced in the dialogue. It suggests that the playwrights or book-holders were indeed treating such entrances and exits in terms of fictional space rather than functional theatrical space. Such a conceptual frame might have derived from the open air nature of early modern public performance, where the stage was 'outside' in the open air courtyard at the centre of the playhouse, and the backstage or tiring house was 'inside' the fabric of the building. The debate about whether particular stage directions are attributable to the playwright or some other participant in the production process is long-standing and complex.
