Shakespeare
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In 1576 James Burbage (father or the actor
Richard Burbage) bought a lease and permission to build “The Theatre” in
Shoreditch London.
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The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (A theatre company
led by Richard Burbage, performing Shakespeare’s plays) were the company in
residence from 1594 1596.
Theatre Shakespeare Style
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Writers began by presenting their ideas for a
plot. The actors and managers then decided whether they liked it or not, and
offer a down payment for its completion.
·
Writers created their characters with certain
actors in mind. For example knowing that Richard Burbage was the Chamberlin’s
leading man, and that he had a good memory for long scripts, Shakespeare
created the parts for Richard III and Hamlet for him. And as the actor grew
older, Shakespeare made his characters more mature.
·
This meant that he would not see who else was
going to be on the stage until they actually rehearsed the scene.
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Rehearsals were used to sort out the details not
specified in the script. Entrances, costumes, and songs were filled in by
actors.
1593 London Theatres
close due to outbreaks of the bubonic plagues in England
Moving across the
river
·
From 1596 to 1597 the city of London authorities
ban the public performances of plays within the city limits of London.
·
1597 Dispute over the lease of “the theatre”.
The puritan owner, Giles Allen. Disapproved of the theatre and the acting
troupe. Burbage opens negotiations to re – new the lease of “the theatre”
·
1597 Shakespeare Company of actors moved to the
Curtain Theatre after failed negotiations for a new lease for the theatre.
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1598 Timber from the “theatre” taken to use for
the building of a new venue you be called the globe
·
1599 The globe theatre is opened on bankside,
London.
1603 The bubonic Plague returns and killed 33,000 people. In
1608 Theatres closed
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In 1613 June29th, Fire at the globe during a
performance of henry VIII
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1614 Is rebuilt
After Queen Elizabeth
·
After Queen Elizabeth’s death in 1603, King
James took the throne. This is known as
the Jacobean period and ran until 1625.
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Jacobean theatre was dark and disturbing –
Grotesquely violent and often shockingly obscene.
·
Sexuality was very prevalent in Jacobean
performances, along with a heightened sense of violence and General
immoralities
·
As the economy declined, so did the delicacy of
theatre performances moved from outdoor to indoor, because of the changeable
weather.
Jacobean Dramas
There are two types of Jacobean Theatre : Revenge Plays,
Tragicomedies
Revenge Plays
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Revenger plays were very obscene and violent
Theatre in decline
·
1642 The
English civil war broke out between the parliamentarians and the Royalists
·
Parliament
then pulled down the globe theatre and was replaced with council houses
·
All
actors were to be arrested and anyone who went to see the plays was fined
·
King
Charles I was executed by Parliamentarians
·
Oliver
Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England