history of theatre part 6. elizabethan theatre the globe theatre the globe theatre in london is…
DESCRIPTION
Elizabethan Theatre Elizabethan public theatres were free standing buildings constructed of wood and plaster They were either round or multisided and in the center was a large courtyard that was open to the elements The Buildings were 3 or 4 stories tall and protruding into the center of the courtyard was a three sided stage about 5 feet tallTRANSCRIPT
ELIZABETHAN THEATRE
THE GLOBE THEATRE THE Globe Theatre in London is a
round wooden building with an uncovered courtyard in the middle
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is built along the lines of the theatre Shakespeare acted in and is called an Elizabethan public theatre
2 current day festivals still perform Elizabeathan style theatre; Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Utah Shakespearean Festival
No original Elizabethan theatre is still standing
Elizabethan Theatre Elizabethan public
theatres were free standing buildings constructed of wood and plaster
They were either round or multisided and in the center was a large courtyard that was open to the elements
The Buildings were 3 or 4 stories tall and protruding into the center of the courtyard was a three sided stage about 5 feet tall
Elizabethan theatre The stage had at least one trap door in it so that
characters could enter from below High above the stage was a sheltering roof that gave
the actors some protection from the sun and rain The roof, beautifully painted to suggest the sky was
called the “heaven” The poorer members of the society would stand and
watch the play, these are referred to as groundlings The richer members of the audience paid a second or
third penny for admission to the seats on the second or third tier, where they were protected from the outside elements
What was most unusual about Elizabethan Theatres was that the sets stayed neutral they never changed, the dialogue described where the action was taking place
Elizabethan TheatreSHAKESPEARE’S PLAY Shakespeare's plays do not
depend on an illusion created by scenery, costumes or lighting
Their performance conventions were quite different from todays
For example to change the location of the action, one set of characters exited as another set entered through a different door.
The audience immediately understood that the scene had changed
SHAKESPEARE Shakespeare died in 1616 In 1642 a civil war broke out
in England during which the king was beheaded and the victorious Puritan government made theatre illegal
All the wood and plaster theatres fell into disuse or were torn down
By the time King Charles II was restored to the throne no Elizabethan public theatres were left
Renaissance Theatre in Italy
Literature, painting and architecture the Renaissance was in full flower
Architects saw the ruins of ancient Roman theatres all around them
They rediscovered De Architectura a book by a Roman named Vitruvius that included lengthy descriptions of what ancient Roman theatres were like
It was translated from Latin to Italian in 1486
The Italians made what they thought were improvements to theatres
* About the same time the English were building their wood and plaster theatres the Italians were rediscovering the glories of ancient Rome