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Elizabethan theatre. 1558-1642. The beginnings. The Elizabethan period began with the reign of Queen Elizabeth in 1558 and lasted until theatres were closed in 1642. There were very few professional theaters before this time.
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Elizabethan theatre 1558-1642
The beginnings • The Elizabethan period began with the reign of Queen Elizabeth in 1558 and lasted until theatres were closed in 1642. • There were very few professional theaters before this time. • Performances were generally done outdoors or in town halls, banquet halls or inns. • Wealthy gentlemen and ladies took responsibility for funding and licensing acting troupes. • Until theatres were built at the turn of the 17th century, the performance of plays was for a wealthy household and their guests.
Acting troupes • One of the ways Queen Elizabeth grew her power was to bring theatre under stricter government regulations. • Instead of wealthy benefactors, performers now had to receive government permission in order to perform or license plays. • The first royal patent for an acting troupe was given to James Burbage and Leicester’s Men in 1574. • In addition, the Queen’s Men and the Lord Chamberlain and Lord Admiral established their own groups allowed to perform in the London city limits.
Acting troupes • Each company was granted it’s own playhouse, marking the first time that an acting troupe had complete control and responsibility over where they performed. • Each performer in the troupe could be either shareholder or hired man. • Shareholders owned part of the financial responsibility and reward. • Hired men were either hired for supporting roles or as stage hands, but could also include young boys who were apprenticed to play the girls and young women because female performers were not yet allowed.
Plays and playwrights • Acting troupes had to develop an extensive repertory, meaning a number of plays that they could perform in rotation so that they could keep an audience. • Political and economic issues drastically changed the theatre during this time. • Originally most plays were still based on Greek myths and plays or on stock characters. • After Elizabeth’s decisive victory over the Spanish Armada at the end of the 16th century, many writers felt compelled to use England’s history as subject matter.
Plays and playwrights • The first major writers of the Elizabethan theatre were graduates of Oxford and Cambridge and called “University Wits.” • Thomas Kyd is best known for The Spanish Tragedy. • Christopher Marlowe is best known for Doctor Faustus, a retelling of the Faustian legend. • Ben Johnson is best known for his comedy Volpone, and his focus on the artistry of writing, meaning following specific rules in constructing plot and characters.
Shakespeare • The greatest playwright, due to the bulk, performance quality, and variety of his work was William Shakespeare. • He began as an actor around 1585, and most likely worked with 3 different companies before becoming a shareholder in the Chamberlain’s men in 1594. • His writing began sometime around 1589, and when he joined Chamberlain’s Men he wrote two plays each season until 1603 when he began to write in partnership with others in his company. • His plays include histories, comedies, and tragedies and all follow Seneca’s five act standard. • In addition to plays he wrote over 150 sonnets and other short works.
playhouses • The Red Lion was the first permanent playhouse established in London in 1567, there are very few accounts of it’s construction. • The Theatre was the second playhouse built in 1576, and lasted until 1598 when it was dismantled to build The Globe. • The Theatre was a large polygonal building that had three levels of roofed audience galleries. The courtyard in the center was open to the sky, the stage raised and most likely jutted from one wall into the courtyard. • The audience in the courtyard stood on the three open sides, while the gallery audience could have completely surrounded the stage. • This construction became standard for open air theatres.
playhouses • The Rose was the playhouse built for the Admiral’s Men. • The Globe is the most famous playhouse from this time because it is where Shakespeare’s work was mostly performed. • Little is known about the original Globe, which burned down in 1613. • The second Globe was more elaborate than the 1st and lasted until 1644 when all playhouses were closed.
Scenery/Costumes • There were little to no set pieces and minimal hand props. • Other than the basic furniture pieces used to designate interior settings, setting was generally given in the speeches, and the audience knew to listen to the prologue and exposition to know location, time, and important concepts. • Because of minimal emphasis on settings, the costumes became the visual tool used to enhance performance. • Costumes were highly valued and there were tiremen and tirewomen hired specifically to maintain the company’s wardrobe, including repairs and acquisitions.
assignment • You will choose a monologue from one of Shakespeare’s plays (I have provided a link on my website). • The monologue must be at least ONE MINUTE and no longer than TWO MINUTES. • DON’T PANIC. We are going to do an entire unit with these monologues so you will have plenty of time to memorize and perfect them before you perform. • The performance date will tentatively be JANUARY 24th. • You will have a QUIZ over the information in this presentation on MONDAY JANUARY 13.
