Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-04-19

to the "pit" cost from a penny to
sixpence.
The Actors
The actors in Elizabethan times
were, as a rule, better trained
than are actors of our day. Their
training began in early years.
Masters of boys schools had their
pupils present plays, both Latin
and English. Among the CON-
panies of schoolboys the most
famous was that known as the
"children of Pauls," Cathedral.
When these children grew up, a
large number of them Joined the
companies of professional actors.
In Shakspere's time these child
actors, threatened to drive the
companies of men out of business,
much to the disgust Of the latter.
The companies of actors were,
like the literary men, "patroniz-
ed" by wealthy mobiles who aided
them with money and protection.
Actors who belonged to COM
panies and actors without patrons
were considered little less than
vagabonds. In return for liberal
aid, the companies bore the name
of their patrons, and were known
a. their "men" or their 'serv-
ants" Thus we have mentioned
my Lord Strange's Men" with
V HON Shakspere was at one time
identifed), "The Lord Chamber
lain's Servants" etc. 1t may DE
Of interest to note at this point
that no women appeared upon
the English stage during the life
time of Shakspere-not, indeed
until the Restoration of Charles
II in 1860. The women char
acters were presented by men or
boys wearing masks. Keeping
this fact in mind, such speeches
as the following become inteili-
gible and significant:
Rosalind. If were woman,
l would kiss as many, etc. (Epilo-
que to CAS- You Like It.")
Cleopatra. The quick come
dams
Extemporally will stage u.s.. E.
and | shall see
SO squeakirg Cleopatra boy my
greatness.
(Antony and Cleopal' a, act V,
scene ii, II .220f
How the Dramatists Wrote Their
Plays
The methods of the dramat:Gts
in Elizab2than times differed III
one essential respect from those
of our modern dramatists in too
n.any cases-they had to se.ve a
rigorous apprenticeship. T h
young man who aspired TO be
dramatist was told to select from
several old plays the parts which
had gone WE'LL" and combine
these parts into 2 new play. After
doing this for while, he was per-
mitted by the manager of his COM
pany (the playwrights belonged
to companies and also acted in
them) to attempt, generally in
collaboration with one or mola
older men, a play of his own. This
play, if extraordinarily success
full, might have a run" of two
weeks. Think of it! And even
before the two weeks were up,
some rival company might 'pi-
rate" the play and present =. in
another theater, for there were
no copyright laws.
SHAKESPEARE the Playwright and
Actor
Because SHAKESPEARE eventually
became the greatest dramatist
of all time, we are apt to lose
sight of the fact that he, like his
contemporaries, had to learn his
craft, to serve his apprenticeship.
True, he had an initial poetic
gift such as has been granted to
few men, he was genius at
picking up and improving upon
the art of his immediate predeces-
sors, and he had a just apprecia-
tion of dramatic values; but the
actual building of plays was an
art which he had to learn. His
early plays were technically poor,
and they were somewhat in bad
taste, full of conceits and course
ness. But, as has been said,
Shakspere earned many lessons
from his immediate predecessors
and even lis contemporaries.
From Christopher Marlowe, with
whom he collaborated in the
writing Of several plays, he learn
ed tn huild "the MIGHTY line"