1. Renaissance Theatre History

2. Before the Renaissance…
… was the Medieval period
Morality plays and miracle plays are the norm
Basically all theatre is focused on teaching you how to be a good Christian.
Actors are treated like thieves and beggars – not trusted… they wander from city to city
No stable playhouses or sets

3. England: Elizabethan Age (1550-1650 CE):
One of the most important periods. Height of change in drama; it becomes very expressive and a force in the lives of people.
Morality play continued as farces (somewhat comical exaggerations).
1st English public playhouse in 1576.
Popular acting troupes start to settle down, but stages are still very minimal.

4. Queen Elizabeth I

5. London Bridge in the Renaissance

8. Famous playwrights…

9. Christopher Marlowe A poet and playwright
The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1588)
A good angel and a bad angel attempt to influence Faustus to sell his soul to the devil
Stabbed in a brawl in 1589

10. William Shakespeare Successful because his plays appealed to everyone.
Considered a master of characterization:
Characters are well defined and are moved by emotions: love, jealousy, and grief.
Globe Theatre and The Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Wrote tragedies, histories, comedies, and tragicomedies

12. The Globe of 1599

13. Cross Section View of The Globe

17. Theatre Conventions…
Plays were written to be seen, not read, by loud audiences. Used to be shouting approval and displeasure so plays had to be exciting, humorous, and moving to maintain interest.
Typical Renaissance Theatre devices:
Couplet:
Two rhyming lines that signal the end of a scene.
Soliloquy:
Character speaks directly to the audience; explained action or described characters

18. Audience Seating Seating had three tiers
Each tier was for different levels of wealth, including private boxes (Elizabeth had her own since she was a patron – a financial supporter – of Shakespeare!)
Ground floor was called the yard
Lower-class spectators stood here and were called groundlings. No chairs, just standing on the dirt floor.

21. Stage and Tiring House
Raised platform surrounded on three sides by audience
Trapdoors led to below the stage
Tiring House similar to Greek skene
At least two doorways
Second story for an “inner above” playing area
Third story for musicians’ gallery
Roof covered stage; called the heavens which also had a trap door

24. Scenery and Costumes
Neutral stage that did not represent a specific location
“Spoken décor” or characters’ lines were used to establish location
Minimal props to also suggest location
Costumes were not always historically accurate to time of play
Often cultural clothing was haphazardly intermingled with Renaissance clothing

25. After the Renaissance was the Reformation… 1642-1660
Puritans, under direction of Oliver Cromwell, come into power and dethroned King Charles.
Puritans wanted to “purify” the Catholic Church. and for the Church of England to enforce a stricter morality
They considered theatre impure and outlawed it for 18 years.
After Charles II took the throne, theatre returned and was more modernized… present day costumes and women actors.