Producing a Play in the 16th Century Ayana Obee, Autumn Jones, Kimberly Villalobos, Cindy Van, Youshmanie Sukraj, Milana Petras

The Path of a Playwright Often looked down upon by other kinds of writers Well educated graduates of English schools and universities Called “hack-writers” Could become an independent free lancer or sign a contract with an acting company Freelancers asked people to buy their plays for a fixed amount of money “Ordinary poets” worked under exclusive contract to an acting company Shakespeare might have had this arrangement with Lord Chamberlain’s Men at the Globe Theater Using altered, old plays on stage was common

Process of a play. -No sole playwrights -Once a screenwriter sold his play he had no control -Play had to be approved by “master of revels” in order to be produced -A book keeper keeps watch over revised plays -Functions as librarian and stage manager -While actors rehearse the stationer forms play bills -Richard Burbage owned a theater company which screened various plays, also an actor himself -Philip Henslowe an entrepreneur who worked with theatre companies, then formed his own -A playwright normally produced up to a maximum of three plays a year

Production: Rehearsals and Staging -Actors might spend the morning rehearsing and the afternoon performing, so they did not have much time for rehearsals -Production took place inside the Globe Theatre -Exists and entrances were in plain view of the audience -The bare stage had little or no scenery except for objects required for the plot Ex) throne, grave, bed -Other stage productions: Actors would descend from the “heavens” above the stage or enter from the “hell” below through trapdoors

-Plays took place indoors during afternoons - use of artificial light to offer a more realistic setting -Had little special effects; used whatever was available Ex) noise of thunder - offstage drum beats lightning flashes - throwing powder into candle flames -Costumes were a major investment for an acting company; provided the essential “spectacle” of the play -Actors wore gorgeous clothing that were often second hand clothes from wealthy families Production: Stage Lighting, Special Effects, and Costumes

The Audience - The audience was the most vital part in keeping a play alive - Anyone was able to see a play for a penny or two pennies for cushioned seats. - For once people from many different lifestyles were brought together, and social status was not an issue - Critics feared that young people watching the plays would begin to talk back and rebel against their elders and officials due to many themes of the plays

The Audience - Many citizens of London would not see plays since they would take place during work or because they were Puritans, and watching a play would be against their religion - Out of all the theaters in London the Globe theater drew the most diverse audience based on the many different genres of plays the theater would showcase

Actors Most Elizabethan actors would begin apprenticing as boys The reputation of actors early on could easily be tied to one of a vagabond Elizabethan actors became stakeholders Queen Elizabeth granted the first royal patent to the servants of Earl of Leicester

Points of Views Plays are the best! -Queen Elizabeth’s reign greatly encouraged progress within the theatre -Theatre would have been shut down had the queen not enjoyed it -Queen Elizabeth was able to relate to being an actor. -She wore many different titles and similarly played different roles

Points of Views -Critics feared plays would encourage young people to act out of social norms -Young men and women were drawn to the theatre -Businessmen/employers despised plays. Plays threatened productivity due to the fact that they took place during working hours. Plays are poisoning the youth!