Download London Life and Theater

London Life and Theater
It was messy, messy, messy
Theater Today
When we go to a play today, we sit quietly
and let the action pass us by. If we enjoy the
production, it captivates our attention and
we heartily applaud at end.
Theater Then
Theater was much different in S's day, when
the stage was round, actors often spoke to
the audience, and the audience frequently
answered back. The audience hooted,
jeered, cheered, snacked, and chatted
throughout the performance as the action
passed by on stage.
How Rowdy Were They?
During the Renaissance, says Peggy
O'Brien, play-going was "a cross between
the NCAA finals and a Madonna concert."
Early Theater
Theater had been the work of traveling
groups of actors/jesters/tricksters, so the
theaters in Shakespeare’s time were a new
idea.
Resistance
Plays had only recently been presented on
stage, and there was much opposition from
politicians and Puritan clergy who called
play-going a dangerous diversion and a
stimulus to "whorish lust." (And if you look
at some of the subject matter, you just might
agree!)
Banned from the City
Bowing to Puritan pressure, London
aldermen banned all playhouses in the city
proper, and the theatre district was confined
to an area in the suburbs.
Map of London
The North Bank
Thames River
Globe Theater
The South Bank
Not a Nice Neighborhood
Scattered throughout the district were
arenas where patrons could watch
cockfights or chained bears being baited by
dogs. In fact, bear gardens and playhouses
competed actively for the same patrons.
Other Diversions
Near the theatres, bawdyhouses, pubs, and taverns
did a booming business; pimps and prostitutes
plied their trade; vendors hawked their wares; and
pickpockets, thieves, and swindlers thrived.
IRONY: Since all of the property belonged to the
Bishop of Winchester, the church profited,
pocketing the revenues from pimps and brothels.
The Globe Theater
The playhouse may have had as many as
twenty sides, creating a circular appearance.
It was an open-air theatre that held about
three thousand spectators.
There was not one toilet on the premises.
Open to the Elements
Performances were
given every day but
Sunday, and plays ran
from two to five in the
afternoon, so that
sunlight wouldn't
bother the audience
and players.
Signal Flags
Since the city fathers opposed playgoing, they
prohibited the theatres from luring customers
through advertising. Instead, theatres would
raise a colored flag and give a trumpet fanfare
shortly before curtain.
The flag indicated the day's feature:
black, tragedy
white, comedy
red, history
Going to the Show
Patrons were ferried across the Thames by
wherry boats.
As people entered the theatre, they would
drop admission into a box (hence "box
office").
Seating – I’ll Take the Stage
Spectators could sit on cushions with the
gentry in the stands or stand elbow-toelbow with the mob in the back.
The most exclusive patrons sat on the stage.
The cheapest admission was for “The Pit” –
an open area of dirt in front of the stage.
The Interior
Cushioned Seats
The Pit
Snacks
Vendors offered beer, water, oranges, nuts,
gingerbread, and apples, all of which were
occasionally thrown at the actors. Hazelnuts
were the most popular Elizabethan snack,
the modern equivalent of Raisinets.
Amenities
There was not one rest room for three
thousand spectators. Nor were there any
intermissions. As you can guess, the theatre
smelled of urine as well as ginger, garlic,
beer, tobacco, and sweat.
The Stage
There were three levels to
the stage, corresponding to
heaven, earth, and hell.
Scenery and props were
minimal, yet Elizabethans
loved spectacular stage
effects, so apprentices
were employed to work
elaborate stage machinery.
Costumes, however, were
extravagant, often the
castoffs of the aristocratic
patron.
“Patronage”
S's company was initially the Lord
Chamberlain's Men, but with the accession
of James I in 1603 the became The King's
Men, the premier company in London.
Wealthy supporters of the theater were
called “patrons”
Men and Women on Stage
Since women were forbidden to act on the
public stage, female roles were played by
prepubescent boys - one reason there's so
little actual sex in the plays.
S turned the restriction into an advantage,
evoking desirability through language and
dramatic action.
Production
Rehearsal time was minimal, as play
turnover was rapid, meeting the constant
desire for variety. Actors learned their parts
in about a week, and some plays only had
one or two performances, while hits could
run intermittently for six months.
Copyrights - Nonexistent
Plays belonged to the acting company and
not to the playwright. Shakespeare didn't
own or have any right to publish his own
plays.
The End of the Globe
The Globe burned down in 1613, when a
prop cannon exploded during the first-night
performance of Henry VIII. One man's pants
were set afire, and doused with beer. The
only other casualty was the playhouse itself.
Goodbye Theaters
After seventy years, the Puritans at last
triumphed. In August 1642 Parliament
passed an ordinance that shut down all the
theatres.