Shakespearean THEATRE

Elizabethan/shakespearean THEATREa presentation byAnthony Chaptini

Elizabethan ERA LIFEDaily life in Elizabethan England varied according to status and location. It was the time of the Renaissance - new ideas in science and literature and all aspects of Elizabethan Daily life. Changes in agriculture during the Elizabethan period led to people leaving the countryside and their village life to search for employment in the towns. Village life was changing and the movement towards town life started during the Elizabethan era.Elizabethan ERA LIFEThe Medieval Feudal system* had broken down.**The political and economic system of the Middle Ages, in which powerful lords owned and governed local districts and the people of their districts served their lords under bonds of loyalty. Outbreaks of the plague had reduced the population - peasants had an increased income for their labour. Elizabethan era lifeThere were opportunities for young Englishmen to become apprentices and learn a trade which would bring them a good standard of living. A wealthy werchant class was emerging in England. Elizabethan daily life provided many opportunities which had been denied to previous generations.

Contemporary social classesThe Monarch: The era called the Elizabethan England was a time of many changes and developments and was also considered as the Golden Age in English history. This era was led by Queen Elizabeth I, the sixth and last ruler of Tudor.Nobility: These people were rich and powerful, and they have large households. The real growth in society was in the merchant class. Within the nobility class there was a distinction between old families and new. Most of the old families were Catholic, and the new families were Protestant. During Shakespeares time there were only about 55 noble families in England. At the head of each noble family is a duke, a baron or an earl. This class is the lords and ladies of the land. A person becomes a member of nobility by birth, or by a grant from the queen or king. Noble titles were hereditary, passing from father to oldest son.

Contemporary Social classesGentry: The Gentry class included knights, squires, gentlemen, and gentlewomen who did not work with their hands for a living. Their numbers grew during Queen Elizabeths reign and became the most important social class in England. Wealth was the key to becoming a part of the gentry class. This class was made of people not born of noble birth who by acquiring large amounts of property became wealthy landowners.Merchant: The Tudor era saw the rise of modern commerce with cloth and weaving leading the way. The prosperity of the wool trade led to a surge in building and the importance cannot be overstated. Shipping products from England to various ports in Europe and to the New World also became a profitable business for the merchants.

Contemporary social classesYeomanry: This was the class who saved enough to live comfortably but through illness or bad luck be plunged into povrty. This class included the farmers, tradesmen and craft workers. They took religion very seriously and could read and write. This class of people was prosperous and sometimes their wealth could exceed those of the gentry, but the difference was how they spent their wealth. The yeomans were content to live more simply, using their wealth to improve their land and expand it.Laborers: Artisans, shoemakers, carpenters, brick masons and all those who worked with their hands belonged to this class of society. In this class we can also put our great swarms of idle serving-men and beggars. Under Queen Elizabeth I, the government undertook the job of assisting the laborers class and the result was the famous Elizabethan Poor Laws which resulted in one of the worlds first government sponsored welfare programs.

Then and nowElizabethan TheatreModern TheatreActing was not a highly paid or highly respected profession.Actors were seen as vagrant troublemakers who promoted hard living and sin.Acting is a very highly paid profession that manypeoplerespect and appreciate.

In the 16th century, actors traveled from town to town on a cart, looking for audiences to pay to watch them perform.Playhouses were not constructed in London until 1576.Theater houses are set up in a permanent location.They often stay open for decades and become part of a community.

Because acting was not a respected profession, women were not allowed to act until after 1660. Teenage boys who hadn't gone through puberty would play the roles of women.

Both men and women are allowed to act on stage or inmovies. Men and women may also play opposite gender roles.

Poor people called the groundlings, or penny knaves, were famous for their love of plays.They would pay one penny to stand in front of the stage in an area called the open yard or the pit.Typically going to a play is associated with the wealthyor the intellectual. Tickets are usually considered moreexpensive for the average person.Then and nowElizabethan TheatreModern TheatreGoing to a play was a lively event.Groundlings would frequently talk, yell, and even throw during the play. If the audience liked or did not like the play or the actors, the groundlings would let everyone in the theater know it.

Going to a play is a more serious event. Audiences areexpected to be silent during the viewing of a play. Audiences are reminded several times to be respectful and quiet.The most expensive seats in a theater were the in the top row of the theater, farthest from the audience.The cheap seats were directly in front of the stage, although people in this area stood. Rich people would want to have the most segregated and exclusive seats in the theater, away from the rowdy, poor people.

Some of the most expensive seats in a modern theaterare the orchestra seats, which are directly in front of the stage.The cheapest seats are in the back of the theater because theyhave the worst view of the stage.People expected to see a new play everyday in theaters.This meant many actors and playwrights were employed to meet the demands of audiences.A theater will show the same play for a muchlonger time. Modern playhouses can run a play for weeks,months, and even years.Most plays were seen at two o'clock in the afternoon.Although there are still afternoon matinees for theaters, the most popular showings are typically seen at night.

Elizabethan acting troupesEarl of Leicester's Men Elizabethan Acting TroupeThe Earl of Leicester's Men were the earliest organized Elizabethan acting company. Formed in 1572 from members of the Earl of Leicester's household, the troupe performed at court the following year. The Earl of Leicester was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth and the company was granted a license by royal patent. In 1576 James Burbage, a member of the troupe, built The Theatre to stage their productions. With the death of the Earl of Leicester in 1588, the troupe merged with Lord Strange's Men.

Lord Strange's Men Elizabethan Acting TroupeThe troupe of Lord Strange was made up from members of the household of Lord Strange, they toured the provinces before appearing at court in 1582. From 1588 to 1594 they were associated with the Admiral's Men. The troupe performed at The Theatre and at the Rose Theatre, where they are believed to have staged several of Shakespeare's plays. Upon the death of Lord Strange in 1594, the group left London to perform in the provinces. Some members, however, joined the Chamberlain's Men.

Elizabethan acting troupesChamberlain's Men leading to the King's Men Elizabethan Acting troupeChamberlain's Men were the most important company of players in Elizabethan England. Between 1564 and 1567 this acting troupe was initially known as known as Hunsdon's Men, whose patron was Henry Carey, first Lord Hunsdon. After their patron's death in 1596, the company was given to his son, George Carey. Once more it was known as Hunsdon's Men, until their new patron himself took office as Lord Chamberlain in 1597. It was again known as the Lord Chamberlain's Men, until the accession of James I in March 1603, when, by letters patent, it was henceforth known as the King's Men.

Admiral's Men Acting TroupeBetween 1576 and 1579 they were known as Lord Howard's Men after their patron Charles Howard. In 1585, when Lord Howard became England's Lord High Admiral, the company changed its name to the Admiral's Men. The chief actor of the Admiral's Men was Edward Alleyn; their manager and employer until his death in 1616 was Philip Henslowe whose diary, covering the years 1592 to 1603, documents the Elizabethan theatre and its organization. Once considered the finest Elizabethan theatrical company, the Admiral's Men began to decline with the rise of the Chamberlains and by 1631 the company had disbanded.Acting troupes laws AND LICENSINGElizabethans were prohibited by Law to wear any clothing which was above their social standing - these were called the Sumptuary Laws. Many Elizabethan plays were about Kings and the nobility but actors were restricted to wear any clothes which might convey this high status. The Queen herself enjoyed this form of entertainment so a clause was written into the Sumptuary Laws. This was another reason for the formation of the Elizabethan Acting troupes who were sponsored by the nobility!Licenses were granted to the aristocracy for the maintenance of troupes of players, who might at any time be required to show their credentials. Thus the Elizabethan Acting Troupes were formed. The movement of actors were therefore regulated.

rEFERENCEThe Shakespearean Stage by Andrew Gurrwikiediea.orggoogle.comimages.google.comelizabethan-era.org.uk