elizabethan theatre by volleyandsmile on emaze

In the course of the 16th century, the popularity of drama spread thanks to travelling companies of actors who were descendants of the resident professional actors in Lords’ houses. They kept the status of servants of their Lord and called their companies after his name : the Earl of Leicester’s Men, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the Lord Admiral’s Men. They have a letter of permission from their patron to give public shows in order to avoid being punished and imprisoned as vagabonds. Their performance took place on movable platforms in inn yards or in town squares or in the manor house of nobles. There were no women in these companies because it was considered immoral and so young boys played women’s roles.

The spread of this phenomenon took place during the Elizabethan age was due to three main factors:

• It was characterized by a wide range of interests and vitality of language and there was the persistence of popular customs of speech and thought.

• Drama was addressed to a mixed public more trained in listening and than in reading and more accustomed to group life than to privacy.

• The City of London authorities were hostile to public performances while The Queen enjoyed plays and the Privy Council supported them.

In addition the Elizabethan theatre shared many features with the Greek: it was a public, nationalistic theatre with its celebration of English history. It was influenced by the Latin poet and philosopher Seneca in the division of the play into five acts, in the tragic and bloody incidents, in the taste for revenge.

Literary playwrights borrowed from popular sources, or from material already familiar through older plays, ballads, or sermons.These plays were also inspired by Italian Commedia dell’arte companies which travelled throughout England in the middle of 16^th century.

In the Elizabethan theatre the areas where the public used to sit reflected the social pyramid. In fact the richest people, who could afford to pay 2 penny, sat on the galleries while the lowest class payed one penny and stood in the pit. This area had no roof and no seats and the people who stayed there were called groundlings.

In addition the Elizabethan companies wanted their own theatres where they could do their exhibition and had a fixed public.

For the following two centuries the galleries were still considered the best places and were reserved for the nobility while in the modern theatres the orchestra has been reevaluated.

For example a ticket for a the galleries could cost in media between the 10 and the 40 euro while a ticket for the orchestra could cost between the 30 and the 80 euro.

Now a day companies prefer to travel and perform all around Italy so that they can have an extended public.

A player's day

Morning

Players ha d to be at the theatre early in the morning for rehearsal . If they were late they were fined.

If it started to rain, it meant that afternoon’s performance might have to be cancelled. Once the weather cleared the flag was hoisted to proclaim there would be a performance that day.

At rehearsal players might revise the stage moves of an old play to be performed again that afternoon.

There was no time to stop for lunch so apprentices would be sent out to get everyone pies and ale.

afternoon

Two o clock-time for the play to start. From the tiring room a player could peek at the sights of the audience. If a play was late starting the audience the audience showed their disapproval by hurling nuts and apples at the stage .A trumpet blast announced that the players were about to begin and everyone become quiet. Backstage the bookkeeper ensured that each player was ready for his cue and that the props were all to hand. The tiring man had everything ready to help with quick costume changes between scenes .Occasionally the writer revised lines at last minute. With up to twenty new places a year to learn, players could easily get day lines muddled.

-->