Shakespeare’s Theatre

Elizabethan Drama  Queen Elizabeth on the throne from  Shakespeare born 1564, lived to 1616, so he was primarily an Elizabethan  First theatres either Inn-Yards or Great Halls

Shakespeare’s London  He grew up in Stratford-on-Avon  Moved to London in 1585/6  First play, Henry VI produced in 1590  London Bridge full of shops and houses

View of London  Looking over the River Thames to Westminster Abbey

The Tower of London  Called by Shakespeare “Julius Caesar’s ill-erected tower”

Inn-Yards  The innkeepers of the day figured out that business was brisk when a play came to town, so they decided to erect a temporary stage where the audience could gather or watch from the galleries

Great Halls  More refined performances took place in the great halls of noblemen’s houses, or of Oxford and Cambridge colleges.  In 1603, the King and court stayed at Hampton Court palace, and were entertained by Shakespeare’s players

Plays within plays  Many of Shakespeare’s plays included a play within a play –The Taming of the Shrew –Love’s Labours Lost –Midsummer Night’s Dream –Hamlet

Outdoor theatres  In 1575, when Shakespeare was only 11, the City authorities imposed a Code of Practice upon the Players which they despised  Moved their theatres outside of the city limits  In 1576, ‘The Theatre’ was built in Finsbury Fields, several others followed

The Globe  The Globe was built by the Burbage brothers in 1599  Their father had built ‘The Theatre’  Fabric taken from ‘The Theatre’ to build The Globe

Shakespeare and The Globe  Shakespeare’s company, the Chamberlain’s Men, performed all their plays after 1599 at the Globe theater

Open-air theatres  The stage stood at one end of the theatre jutting out into the audience for about half of the depth of the theatre  Three tiers of galleries for wealthy audience  ‘Groundlings stood on ground in front of stage

Apron stage  The stage was raised 3-4 feet above the ground, and was surrounded on three sides by the audience  The main stage had two doors in back to the “inner stage”  Above the recess was the “upper stage”

Stage construction  The main stage was hollow, and there was access to the stage through numerous trapdoors  Theatres were open to the sky, but thatched over the galleries and the upper balcony or “heaven”  Front of stage was open to the elements

Uses of the multiple stage  Main action took place on the main stage  Surrounded by audience, so that the “asides” were not so artificial as they seem today  Soliloquies could appear to be spoken confidentially to the audience  Trapdoor could serve as Ophelia’s grave

Indoor theatres  While the outdoor theatres were being built, several indoor theatres were also constructed for companies of boy actors  These were developed along the lines of the Great Halls  They were smaller than outdoor theatres, rectangular, roofed, and lighted by candles  Admission more expensive, only 700 or so people could fit into these theatres.

Settings  No elaborate settings like plays of modern theatre  Shakespeare had to create setting by the use of the words  He had to establish time of day by stating the time, since many performances were outside  No curtains to main stage, had to create change in scenes by the words and the actions of the players

The Players  The first Folio of 1623 gives us a list of all 26 of Shakespeare’s Company members  Richard Burbage was one of the great tragic actors of his day

Shakespeare as Player  Shakespeare’s apprencticeship was the stage itself  Generally credited with playing the ghost in Hamlet  Liked to play parts that kept him on stage but allowed time to write as well

Sources  Mowat, Barbara A. and Paul Werstine, eds. Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Folger Shakespeare Library. New York: Washington Square Press,  Lecture by Hilda D. Spear (University of Dundee) held at Cologne University on October of 1989