New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-16

THE THEATRES OF srAKEsrEARE's DAY.

EARLY LONDON THEArREs In H ne Fie!as Fly
Tl.u.,rations and NIps Emo. ~. o. Macmillan
4 60.
This Is a good book. the work q 4 siudi'us and
patient scholar rnd u should b" sought and
studied hy an readers who are interested In
the history r ;hc theatre and In theatrical mat
tors n trayerscs a no'l which has hoen VOL
explored but j. amb.cs "a i,y AID .h'euy r urh
old records AMI f'e ronl ga never 'ed. 'us. IT,
narrative begin. with hriG dcnoiefn"n' o, in"
aspect ~ London. ~ n was prior 90 IN" Refor-
nation when tho city contained many wealthy
parish churches ard was surrounded with 70
rgious houses The monasicri.s u London were
dissolved about 1886 Tho hrst theatre was burt
In 1876 when Queen Elizabeth had been eighteen
years upon the English throne. and when the
new order Of things established hy tho Eeforma-
ton was vet I'm it, infancy London. In what
may b. called tho Catholic times. was remark
ably gay city II contained many open spaces
and many fine gardens. iis Inhabitants We're
much addicted 10 outdoor sports and IN" Gus
tom 81 representing 'mracl"-plays In me
churches har not been discarded Mr. ordish
apiiy suggests tha; good way In which -
realize the conditions - London In 'hnt period.
and thereby & seek an UNDERMINING = the
physical conditions under which English dfa-
matte literature came into being. ia 10 think 81 nm
OH Continental town Of the present day s;iil iain
IN! T. Rome The change that was caused by
the influences " the Reformation was not ac-
complishel all ~ once Tho old religious or
Plantations d!d no, disappear Immediately.
Some - the church buildings remained standing
for A long time The first theatre. that II Bur
bagc. was built upon the size OF a suppressed
religious house The "miracle-pay" sue
ceeded by the morality play" England. In the
carly years OF Queen Elizabeth. was pervaded
by siroliing companies. each one attached 10 the
household II 2 nobleman. and each licensed. by
It's patron. t. travel ana give exhibitions.
movable two-story carriage was often employed
by those playefs.-thc lower room. which was
incloscd being used for dressing. and the upper.
which was open. for the performance. Similar
vehicles may still be seen nj English fairs ON
October Il this year. several " them were pres
cnt In a mop" at Stratford-upon-Avon. and per
formancos Of various kinds were given In them
The ancient inn-yard. surrounded AZ II was with
open galleries. favOrite resort for stfollcrs
I'm her first year 1853. QIcen Elizabeth Issued
A proclamation to regulate p.ays.-for she
liked them and she favor ible 10 the play
crs as indeed the princes and mobiles 81 England
have almost always been. Abuses. however
crept in and the Puritan spirit began To gain
formally expelled all players from the city. Bur
bage had received a license IN the previous year.
and since he could MOI any longer exhibit plays
within the limits of London. he went into the
fields and built n theatre there. II was erected
In 1916 and II stood on the eastern margin OF
tynsbury common. upon land that had been oc-
cupcd by the Prory Of Holywcll IT was thus
easily accessible. for the citizens of London. by
way OF either Cripplcgatc. Moorgate. or Bishops
gate The Curtain built near II, little
later Mr. Ordish traces the architectural form
Of the theatre. which has come down 10 the
present day from the ancient Roman circles,
amphit heatres, and from popular use for sports
and exhibitions, Of those circles that are ascrbed
10 the Druds: and no doubt his reasoning Is
correct.
The Ptrtans. of course. looked with ever
increasing horror upon the prosperity OF
Rurbage's Theatre and their efforts for its
extiipaton were ncessant Shakespeare. who
went from Stratford to London In or about 1885.
seems 10 have had dealings with 1t. soon after his
arrival If Burbagc was Warwic kshlre man.
has been confidently asserted. Shakespeare may
have known him, may nave had means Of
attracting his favorable attention. II was In the
Theatre Of Burbage. possibly as an adaptcr Of
earlier plays. that the great poet and dtamatist
7 began his full career. Burbage died in
1897 and about the end OF the next year his heirs
demolished the Theatre. and with the building
materials thus obtained which they conveyed 10
the Banksidc the Surrey side Of the Thames.
they built that renowned dramatic temple, the
Globe.
Shakespeare was In 1894 member % the Lord
Cham5erlain's company. which performed at both
the Theatre and the Curtain, and before the
Queen at Greenwich As soon as the Theatre
had been demolished at Finsbury and reared
upon the Bankside dt stood where the engine
room now stands of the brewery OF Messrs. Bar
clay g. Perkins, the Curtain began to reap an
augmented harvest Of popularity. and that fact
inspired the erection Of still another playhouse
Ia the Finsbury neghborhood.-s structure called