Renaissance Theatre: England

Two major roots of English drama?

• through the study of, adaptation and performance of classical Greek and Roman Drama

• through the plays written and performed by professional acting troupes

Importance of Gorbudoc?

• considered the first true english tragedy

Who was the major pre-shakespearean playwright?

Christopher Marlowe

What types of Dramas did Christopher Marlowe write?

Historical Tragedies

Christopher Marlowes most revived work?

Doctor Faustus

Who was the major Elizbethan playwright?

William Shakespeare

3 types of Shakespeare plays?

• Tragedies

• Comedies

• History

Examples of Shakespeare Tragedies

• Romeo and Juliet

• Othello

• King Lear

• Macbeth

• Hamlet

Shakespeares greatest tragedy?

Hamlet

Examples shakespeare comedies?

• taming of the shrew

• merchant of venice

• as you like it

Example of a Shakespeare history?

The Richard and Henry plays

Problems performing Shakespeare plays

• There are long (Hamlet was 5 hrs)

• Require large male casts

• Major roles are difficult

• language is difficult to understand and speak

Quartos

small book containing a single play

Folio

a large book with a collection of scripts

Good quartos

authorized publications based on the scripts held by the acting company

Bad quartos

unauthorized publications based on the memory of an unhappy actor no longer apart of the troupe

Why was it necessary for an Elizabethan acting company to have a patron?

• acting wasn’t a respected occupation if an actor was not serving a noble/royal family they were considered a rogue/vagabond, they were punished/ put to death

Who was the patron for the Kingsman?

King James l

Shareholder?

• Held economic interest in the acting company

• shared in the company’s profits/losses

Householder?

• held economic interest in the theatre

• shared in the theatre profits/losses

Hireling?

• actor, musician, stage manager, wardrobe keeper

Private Theatre

• small expensive indoor theater

• Capacity;700

Public Theatre

• large

• capacity;3000

Name of the first professional english playhouse?

Theatre (wasnt the usual term to define it)

When was the first english theatre built and who built it

• 1576

• James Burbage

When did the globe theatre open?

1599

Who built the globe theatre?

Lord Chamberlins men

How was shakespeare involved in the globe theatre?

it was the company he wrote for and part owned

The first play shakespeare wrote for the globe theater?

Julius Caesar- 1599

Yard/pit

courtyard where the audience stood

Forestage

part of the stage where most of the action occured

The inner below

a small stage at the rear of the forestage

the inner above

curtained discovery area above the inner below on the second level

The heavens?

The roof over the forestage

Groundlings

Poorest Individuals; paid one penny to stand in the pit (wealthy paid and additional penny to sit in the galleries)

What is the meaning of a flag flown over a theatre?

There would be a performance at the theatre that afternoon; the color of the flag=type of play shown

Who were the kings men?

Leading acting company from 1603-1642

Who was the kingsman leading actors?

Richard Burbage

Who was the kingsmens resident playwright?

Shakespeare

Were women allowed to perform?

No, young men played the womens parts

How did gender impact the playwrights?

They included very few females roles in their plays

Gatherer

Most trusted member of the acting company who would collect the money from the audience