Life i n t he Theatre

Life in the TheatreBy

Matt Robinson, Justin Klem and Parker Bennett

THEATRE:

A theatre is “an outdoor structure for dramatic performances or spectacles in ancient Greece and Rome” ~Merriam-Webster

WHAT DOES A THEATRE LOOK L IKE?

The average theatre had an average of 2,000 to 3,000 spectators crammed onto benches or pay to sit on balcony. Lower paying spectators sat in a yard, uncovered by a roof. The ground was made of hazelnut mixed with ash and the stage was covered with a roof.

FAM OUS SHAKE SP EARI AN THEATRES IN L ONDON

Folger Theatre

The Swan Theatre

The Globe Theatre

SHAKESPEARE PERFORMANCES

During his performances, Shakespeare would come onto the stage from hidden door. In the plays, there were no female actors so men had to dress up as women. According to records, women were allowed on English stages 200 years before the Shakespearian time period. There were two acting companies, on for both adults and for children. These two companies competed to see which was superior. The adult company won most of the time because they had Shakespeare.

This is actually a man

BUSINESS

Shakespeare's own company was responsible for building The Globe Theatre. The company was also self-supporting and managed its own actors. This helped Shakespeare pay for the expenses involved in upkeep of the theatre.

THE GLOBE THEATRE

The Globe Theatre was created by Shakespeare’s own company. The theatre was created in a circular shape to represent the Earth. The Globe theatre is still operational and does shows. The original Globe Theatre was going to be shut down, so Shakespeare had it moved across the Thames River to the opposite bank of where it stood previously.

THE ROSE THEATRE

The Rose Theatre was another one of the famous London playhouses. It was build on the bank of the Thames River also along with many other theatres. Recent archeological discoveries have been made linked with the Rose Theatre. The Rose Theatre is still in operation today.

FOLGER THEATRE

Folger Theatre is also still operating today. In addition to being a theatre, Folger is also a library consisting of many important and rare Shakespearian time period items, such as manuscripts and books. The library functions as a place to research Shakespeare and similar “artists”.

WORKS CITED

Mowat, Barbara, and Paul Werstine. "London Playhouses and Other

Sites-Folger Shakespeare Library." Folger Shakespeare Library.

N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.

*Definition from: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

*Images from: Google Images