Elizabethab drama and theatres

Elizabethan Theaters

Elizabethan Theaters

Queen Elizabeth I

loved music, drama, and poetry and

was a patron of the theatre and arts.

Elizabethan Theaters

King 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 the Lord Chamberlain’s Men to the King’s Men.

Elizabethan Theaters

The “ Master of Revels ” was the official censor of the plays.

A patron sponsored an acting company.

Playhouses

Private – small, roofed buildings for the wealthy people.

Public – usually the backyards of inns.

Famous theaters – the Rose, the Swan, the Globe, and the Curtain.

Elizabethan Theaters

The Theatre

- London’s first theatre;

-Built in 1576;

-Owned by James Burbage.

Elizabethan Theaters

Elizabethan Theaters

The Theatre 1576

The Curtain 1577

The Rose 1587

The Swan 1595

The Globe 1599

The Fortune 1600

The Globe Theatre

The Globe Theatre

-Built in 1599;

-Shakespeare was a part owner;

-Burned down in 1613;

-Rebuilt in 1614

- Torn down in 1644 by the Puritans.

a flag

the hut (heaven)

the trap door (hell)

the galleries

the stage

the yard (groundlings)

-An o pen-air theatre;

• The plays were held in the afternoon in any weather;

-A flag was hoisted on the day of the performance;

The trumpet played three times to announce that the play was about to begin.

The audience paid a penny and stood in the yard to watch a performance (groundlings).

There were about 3000 seats in the galleries for wealthy people.

-Most plays lasted two hours

without interruption.

-No scenery was used during the performance.

The stage was considered a lower class profession, and no women could appear there.

Young boys played female roles.

Actors wore contemporary costumes donated by their wealthy patrons.

Acting Companies

- Consisted of 25-30 actors;

• Plays were written with actors and their abilities in mind;

- The companies were named after their patrons (Lord Chamberlain’s Men, King’s Men).

Elizabethan Actors

Richard Burbage

- one of the great tragic actors of his day. The roles of Hamlet, Othello and Lear were probably written for him.

Elizabethan Actors

Will Kemp was a famous comedian.

Elizabethan Actors

William Shakespeare acted in many of his plays.

It is assumed that he played smaller roles in a variety of his own plays, including the ghost of Hamlet’s father.

The New Globe 1997