Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-14
OLD PLAyHOUSES
Of LONDON Town
Discovery Of important Docu'
ments Bearing on Eng
lands Classic Stage.
From the London Chronicle.

From the London Chronicle.
The interest IN the theater where
Shakespeare's plays were performed has
been steadily increasing for the last fift,
years. and Dr.. C. II. Wallace's recent
discoveries concerning the Globe and
Blackfriars have been welcomed by all
students Of the London stage. But the
history OF the Eizabethan playhouses is
far from complete. and many chapters
stiil remain to be written.
Among these Is one which might be
called THE Origin of the Blackfriars
Theater." For undoubtedly there was
an early theater Of that name. In
plays Confuted In Five Actions" q book
written and printed about 1852, Stephen
Gosson alludes to the great many COM
edies" which were being acted at the
Blackefriars." We know also that two
Of Lyly's plays. published in 1854, but
acted earlier, contain a Prologue at the
Blacke Friars." But every time historians
of the London stage have tried to dis
cover what this playhouse really was
they found their efforts baffled by lack
OF documentary evidence.
New Facts on Old History.
It is therefore with great pleasure that
am able to bring forward new facts
which bear directly upon the history of
the old Blackfriars. In the course Of the
search l have been making among the
LoSeley MSS. during the last five years
with the very kind permission OF the late
Mr.. More M0lyneux and Of the present
owners. Lieut.. and Mrs. McGowen More,
+ a.
across one Of the most delightful and
complete sets Of documents that could
have been dreamed Of by the most eager
of record-hunters. These documents
nine In number and some of them very
long-cannot he printed here in extenso.
But carefully interpreted and supple
mented by other facts already known.
they give the following story. which ask
the reader to be content with for the
present. until | find an opportunity to
publish the manuscripts in full.
In or before 1876, Richard Farrant, well
known to historians of the drama as
master OF the children Of Windsor, was
acting at the same time as master of the
children Of the chapel. although the
patent was held by William Hunnis, the
poet. Farrant had theatrical ambitions,
and probably saw that he could make
good profits by admitting the public to
rehearsals of the play prepared by him
LOT performance at court. 1t was, OF
course, out of the question to employ
royal choristers avowedly in a private
enterprise, but the master could p.ausibly
pretend that public rehearsals We're
necessary to the training Of the young
The difficult thing was to find suit
able place. Farrant was not a rich man,
and the expense Of building a theater
would be too great. What he wanted was
a house which could be easily converted
into one spacious room. Luckily he heard
that an apartment occupied by Lord Cob
ham, and situated within the precincts
of the old Blackfriars monastery. had
just been vacated. This situation was
without doubt an equal for Farrant's
purpose; it stood i'm the center of the
then most fashionable part of London
and outside the jurisdiction of the city-a
thing not to be disregarded at period
when the city authorities We're beginning
to join. in the Puritanic opposition to all