The newspaper., 1906-11-16

amusement to the citizens of London.
the most noted of which was the
Globe. These theatres all fiourished
in spite of the fact that the officers
and magistrates, who, being under
the influence of the severe doctrine of
Puritanism, carried on a constant |
| war against players and the play
house.
Some of these theatres were cock
pits (the name of 1.-The pit" is still sug- |
gestive of that fact;) Some were
arenas for bull-baiting and bear-bait- |
ing and compared with the magnifi-
cent theatres OF today were poor
and squalid, retaining in form and
arrangement many traces of the old
model-the inn yard. Most OF them
| were entirely uncovered excepting
| over the stage, where thatched
roof protected the actors from the
weather. The spectators were ex-
posed to sunshine and storm alike as
the performances were given in the
afternoon. The boxes, or "rooms,'
as they were called, were arranged
nearly as at the present day but the
musicians, instead OF being placed in
the orchestra. were in a lofty gallery
over the stage. This early stage had
no painted or movable scenery. \
few screens of cloth or tapestry gave
the actors the opportunity of max
ing their exits or entrances. A pla-
card bearing the name OF Rome,
Athens, London or Florence, as the
case might he, indicated to the audi
ence the scene of the play. Certain
typical articles offurniture Were used;
a bed suggested bed room, "A table
covered with tankards, a tavern:
gilded chair, surmounted with n
canopy, and called "a State" a
palace: an altar, achurch; few flow
ers II garden and the like. perma-
nent wooden structure like "A scaffold,
erected AT the back Of the stage, rep
res anted objects according to the
needs of the play, such as the wall OF
castle or besieged city, the outside
of IA house, or position where one
of the actors might overhear the
Others without being seen himself.
While being thus scantily equipped
I'm stage settings the costumery OF the
early stage was lavish and splendid.
The person delivering the prologue,
who was usually the author, would
appear in long, flaming velvetrobe
made after the pattern of the middle
ages, and all other actors were at
tired In the richest dress of their day.
Absurdities such as arming the
| assassins of Caesar with Spanish
rapiers, or Cartheginian senators
with watches in no wise detracted
from the entertainment, provided the
costumes were brilliant enough. The
curtain is supposed to have opened
perpendicularly In the middle; and
beside this principal curtain, there
seem to have been others occasional
ly drawn, to divide the stage into
several apartments.
The social position OF an actor and
playwrite, even at the close OF the
sixteenth century, was not enviable.
He was regarded by many as only
shade above the "rogues and vaga-
bonds OF earlier year,, but this draw
back seems to have been fully com
pensated for by the immense profits
of the business, and Notwithstanding
the social discredit attached to the
profession, 1t soon became the COM
mon resort of literary genius in
search OF employment. and only
twenty years after the appearance OF
the first rude tragedy, the stage
entered the most glorious period OF
it's history.
There were no female actors, the
female parts being taken by young
men and boys, and the grossness
which startles us in words from wo-
mems lips take different color when
every woman's part was acted by n
boy. But difficulties such as these
were no drawback to the popularity
OF the drama. Rude as the theatre
might be. all the world was there.
All classes OF society were in attend
ance and intimacy with the foulest as
well as the fairest developments of