The TheaterDuring Shakespeare’s Time

Elizabethan Theater Called this to honor

the queen, Queen Elizabeth I

She loved art, music, drama, and poetry

She liked Shakespeare’s plays and protected him

Important People to the Theater The “Master of

Revels” was the official censor of plays

He approved or censored content

A patron sponsored an acting company A patron is a rich

citizen of high rank who backed an acting company

James I Became king in 1603 Was a supporter of

drama James became the

patron of Shakespeare’s acting company

They changed their company name from Lord Chamberlain’s Men to the King’s Men

The Theater London’s first

theater Built in 1576 Owned by James

Burbage The first theater

derived its shape from the inns

Torn down in 1599

The Globe Theater Built in 1599 In Southwark (near

London) Was financed by

James Burbage’s sons

Construced out of the timber from The Theater

The Globe Called the

“wooden O” Resembled a small

football stadium Unroofed yard in

the center

Parts of the Globe

Yard (where groundlings stood)

Platform (main acting area)Permanent Door (stage entrance and exit)

Parts of the Globe

Trap Door (lead to an area beneath the stage known as Hell)

Galleries (3 tiers of seats for audience members)

Study (inner stage)

Terras (balcony)

Chamber (upper stage)

Parts of the Globe

Musician’s Gallery

Canopy (represented the sky) Huts

(represented the Heavens)

Flag

The Globe Peasants who paid a

penny and stood in the yard to watch a performance were called groundlings

Wealthier spectators could spend 2-3 pennies to sit in the galleries

Seating/standing capacity of 3000

Performances Held in the afternoon

(2:00) because there was no artificial lighting

Without microphones, actors would often have to shout lines

A flag would be hoisted on the day of a performance

The start of a play was signaled by a trumpet sounding 3 times

Staging and Scenery Most plays lasted two

hours There was little

interruption because scenery wasn’t used

The audience gained an understanding of the play from the costumes, props, music, sound effects, and dialogue

Setting was established with words

Costumes Were colorful and

expensive Usually donated by

rich patrons

Costumes Would establish a

character’s status (wealthy, poor, soldier, king, etc.)

Was symbolic of a character’s morality

White = purity Black = evil Red = violence, blood

Acting Companies Consisted of 25-30

actors Female roles played

by boys Each company had a

clown for comic relief

Plays were written with actors and their abilities in mind

Shakespeare’s Acting Company Richard Burbage (a

great tragic actor in Shakespeare’s company)

Will Kempe (a famous comedian in Shakepeare’s company) Shakespeare

Richard Burbage

The Life of the Globe Burned down in

1613 when a cannon shot caught the roof on fire

Rebuilt in 1614 Closed in 1642 by

the Puritans (thought the theater was sinful)

Torn down in 1644

The New Globe Theater A replica of The

Globe now stands on the original site

It was a 45 million dollar reconstruction

Opened in 1997