"Shakespeare's theater was not very different from the stage of the Greeks." Is this statement false?

Yes, it is false, for several reasons. First, the Greek stage was designed to be viewed from the front, while Shakespeare’s Globe, for instance, was designed to allow an audience to view the play from several sides. Secondly, Greek theatre was designed to not call for scene changes, since the action occurred in one place and in one day. Thirdly, the Greek audience sat, while Shakespeare’s audience could both sit and stand in front of...

Yes, it is false, for several reasons. First, the Greek stage was designed to be viewed from the front, while Shakespeare’s Globe, for instance, was designed to allow an audience to view the play from several sides. Secondly, Greek theatre was designed to not call for scene changes, since the action occurred in one place and in one day. Thirdly, the Greek audience sat, while Shakespeare’s audience could both sit and stand in front of the stage; those patrons standing in front of the stage were called “groundlings.” The most interesting feature of the Greek theatre was the machine for the “deus ex machine” (god from the machine), speculatively a sort of crane designed to lift an actor overhead. Shakespeare’s stage had a balcony (see Romeo and Juliet), and an upstage curtained space for “reveals.” The stage accommodated several scene changes during the play. Noteworthy, too, is that Shakespeare’s plays were performed at several venues – inns of court, academic halls, even the Queen’s quarters at her demand. The proscenium stage with moveable scenery we know today is a much later refinement.