Elizabethan Drama Elements and Staging

History of Theater in England  Originally, actors would perform in any open area for spectators (halls, courtyards, taverns)  1574 – English government decreed that theaters must be licensed  1576 – first permanent theater built outside the city of London  1592 – 1593: theaters shut down when the plague infected London  1599 – Globe Theater built in “red light” district of London

History of Theater in England, cont’d.  Audiences varied from the wealthy upper class to the lower class  Plays were used for entertainment and also to deliver political messages  Actors were mostly men (who often played women) and were not considered celebrities or paid well

The Globe Theater  Built in 1599 for The Lord Chamberlain’s Acting Company of which Shakespeare was a member (Shakespeare owned 10%)  Made of wood  Held 2,000 – 3,000 people  1,500 seats were covered  Room for 800 – 1,000 people to stand in the “pit”, an uncovered area surrounding the stage  No lights so all performances were held between 2 – 5 pm

The Globe Theater, cont’d.  The stage was circular with all sides open  There was an enclosed building to the side for costume changes  No curtains so characters were “announced”, acts and scenes melted into each other, and dead bodies had to be carried off the stage

The Globe Theater, cont’d.  3 levels of the stage * Main stage with small curtained area in the rear * Upper area (heaven) for balcony scenes * Lower area under the stage (hell) accessible by a trapdoor on the stage

The Globe Theater, cont’d.  The acoustics were poor so actors had to shout and use exaggerated gestures to be understood  Because there were no curtains to close at the conclusion, all tensions had to be “cooled” before the end of the play

The Globe Theater, concluded  1613 – burned during a performance of Henry VIII when a real cannon was fired onto the roof  1614 – rebuilt  1644 – Puritans destroyed it in an effort to “clean up” the morals of London

Scenery, costumes, and props  No curtains dictated that scenery be kept to a minimum since no changes could be made during a performance  Costumes were elaborate and highly decorated with hats and other accessories  Props were usually small and could be carried on by hand by the actors

William Shakespeare His Life and Work

Childhood  Born to wealthy parents in Stratford- Upon-Avon in 1564  Few details are known about his childhood  Well-educated in grammar school as evidenced by his references to classical works, his knowledge of a wide variety of subjects, and his extensive vocabulary

His Career as an Actor and Playwright  1589 – he wrote his first play (Henry VI, Part I)  1594 – he became a member of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men which developed into the premier theater troupe in London, first as an actor and then a playwright  1598 – he became the principal comedic writer and actor of the troupe  1603 – he became the principal tragic actor and writer of the troupe

His Career as an Actor and Playwright, Cont’d.  His success and good investments made him wealthy and well-respected in London society  He wrote the epitaph for his own tomb: “Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones And cursed be he that moves my bones.”