Theatres5


 * WHAT WAS A THEATRE LIKE IN SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLAND? WHAT WERE INN-YARDS, COURTYARD THEATRES OR AMPITHEATRES, and PLAYHOUSES? WHAT WERE THE ROSE, THE SWAN, THE THEATRE, AND OTHER IMPORTANT THEATRES IN ELIZABETHAN AND JACOBEAN ENGLAND? WHAT WAS BLACKFRIAR’S THEATRE AND WHY WAS THIS AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT IN THEATRE IN SHAKESPEARE’S TIME? HOW, IF AT ALL, WERE THESE THEATRES CONNECTED TO SHAKESPEARE?

** **Answer prepared by: Chelsea M.**  Theatres in London during the Elizabethan Era were growing and new types were being built. There were three main types of theatres, inn- yards, amphitheatres, and playhouses. An inn-yard theatre, according to Linda Alchin the author of the web page, “Playhouses and Inn-Yards,” was the early days of Elizabethan commercial theater. Performances were held in taverns and inns in London. Inn-yard shows were inexpensive and could hold a capacity of up to 500 people.

An amphitheatre was like the Roman Coliseum and could hold up to 1,500 or 3,000 people. These were based after Greek and Roman theatres. They had pillars that would be painted to take on the look of marble (Alchin). Indoor playhouses were small, private indoor halls. Playhouses were open to anyone but were quite expensive and they could only hold up to about 500 people. This type of theatre allowed year round acting professions (Alchin). Before playhouses all theaters were outdoor and actors could only perform when the weather was nice. Outdoor theaters were exposed to the elements of weather. Now that indoor theaters have been introduced actors could act all year and people could see plays all year rounds too.

In London there were many well-known theatres. James Burbage built the Theatre and the Curtain, Philip Henslowe built the Rose, and a mannamed Francis built the Swan. The Curtain had a similar structure to the Theatre but the Curtain was slightly smaller. The Rose was said to have been round in shape and elegant. Next to the Rose was the Swan. There are debates on whether or not Shakespeare and his company performed there. No one really knows if he did. All we know about the Swan is that it was one of the largest playhouses of the time. Newington Butts was another amphitheatre in London. Not much is known about this theatre. All we know is that it was situated a mile form the Thames River. Also the acting company Chamberlains Men acted there. They gave their earliest recorded performances of // Hamlet, Titus Andronicus //, and // The Taming of the Shrew. // Otherwise we don’t know who else performed there.  The most well known theatre of the Elizabethan Era was the Globe Theatre. This theatre was built by Burbage in 1599 and was an amphitheatre. It could hold several thousand people and was a tremendous success. The Globe was where Shakespeare and his company did most of there acting. There were two parts of the stage, an inner stage and an outer stage. According to Amanda Mabillard’s webpage, “The Globe” the inner stage was used for scenes that took place in an inner room and for actors that were in the scene but weren’t directly involved, would stand on the inner stage. The outer stage was a rectangular platform and above it was the roof. Below the stage floor there was a large cellar that was known as “hell”. Actors who played the part of a ghost would enter the stage from the cellar for a dramatic entrance (Mabillard).

One of the most premiere playhouses in London was Blackfriars theatre. Richard Burbage built it in 1596. Burbage leased this theatre to Henry Evan for 21 years. Burbage then took the lease back. Shakespeare and other players then became part owners of the theatre. According to Amanda Mabillard, author of the webpage “Blackfriars Theatre” Blackfriar’s could seat 700 people, had amenities other theatres didn’t, and had artificial lighting! Shakespeare became part owner of the Blackfriars Theatre. He would perform there during one season then he would perform at the Globe during another season Soon the theatre was closed because of the English Civil War. This closure was hard on the theatre and soon it was demolished in 1655.

[|Virtual Tour of the Globe Theatre]

[|Video of London Theaters]

** Works Cited ** Claybourne, Anna, and Rebecca Treays. //The Usborne World of Shakespeare//. Saffron Hills, London: E.D.C. Publishing, 2001. 14. Print.
 * __BOOKS:__**

Lace, William W. //Elizabethan England: Elizabeth and her Court//. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books, 2002. 63. Print.

Laroque, Francois. //The Age of Shakespeare//. New York: Harry N Abrams, 1993. 62-63,68. Print. Alchin, Linda. "The Blackfriars Theatre." //Elizabethan Era//. William Shakespeare Info, 2005. Web. 3 Apr 2010. .
 * __WEBSITES:__**

Alchin, Linda. "Elizabethan Theater, Playhouses & Inn-Yards." //Elizabethan Era//. William Shakespeare Info, 2005. Web. 2 Apr 2010. .

Alchin, Linda. "The Newington Butts Amphi-theatre." //Elizabethan Era//. N.p., 2005. Web. 10 Apr 2010. .

Mabillard, Amanda. "Blackfriars Theatre: Shakespeare's Winter Home." //Shakespeare Online//. N.p., 20 Aug 2000. Web. 2 Apr 2010. .

Mabillard, Amanda. "The Curtain." //Shakespeare Online//. N.p., 20 Aug 2000. Web. 3 Apr 2010. .

Mabillard, Amanda. "The Globe." //Shakespeare Online//. N.p., 20 Aug 2000. Web. 9 Apr 2010. .

Mabillard, Amanda. "Newington Butts." //Shakespeare Online//. N.p., 20 Aug 2000. Web. 10 Apr 2010. .