Shakespeare's Globe: About Us - Original Globe / Shakespeare's Globe History does not repeat itself In 2010 Henry VIII was staged to great acclaim, and perhaps more importantly no fires! + share this page During the first years of Elizabeth’s reign, the English playing companies used inns, inn yards, college halls and private houses for their performances. It was not until 1576 that the actor-manager James Burbage built the Theatre in Shoreditch, the first purpose-built playhouse in London. Shakespeare joined the resident troupe at the Theatre in the 1580s and the company (later known as the Chamberlain’s and then the King’s Men) flourished there for 20 years. In 1596 a dispute arose over the renewal of the lease and negotiations were begun to acquire a disused hall in the precincts of the old Blackfriars priory to use as an indoor theatre. James Burbage died in February 1597; in April the lease expired, but the dispute continued for two years, during which time the company performed at the nearby Curtain playhouse.

In Christmas 1598 the company sought a drastic solution: they leased a plot near the Rose, a rival theatre in Southwark, demolished the Theatre and carried its timbers over the river. To cover the cost of the new playhouse, James Burbage’s sons Cuthbert and Richard, offered some members of the company shares in the building. Shakespeare was one of four actors who bought a share in the Globe. By early 1599 the theatre was up and running and for 14 years it thrived, presenting many of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. In 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII, wadding from a stage cannon ignited the thatched roof and the theatre burned to the ground ‘all in less than two hours, the people having enough to do to save themselves’. The theatre was quickly rebuilt, this time with a tiled roof. Shakespeare may have acted in the second Globe, but he probably never wrote for it. It remained the home for Shakespeare’s old company until the closure of all the theatres under England’s Puritan administration in 1642. No longer of use, it was demolished to make room for tenements in 1644.

Shortcuts Globe Theatre, London Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre has long been associated with William Shakespeare, who is regarded as the greatest English writer in history. The historic theater was rebuilt at the end of the twentieth century and endeavors to maintain the connection. The Old Theatre The original Globe Theatre, built by an Shakespeare's Globe Theatre acting company to which William Shakespeare belonged, opened in 1599. Technically, six men owned different shares in the theatre, with the bulk of the property belonging to brothers Richard and Cuthbert Burbage. Unfortunately, the original Globe Theatre lasted only fourteen years. In 1613, it burnt to the ground during a performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII. The fire was attributed to a theatrical cannon, which misfired and set the thatched roof and wooden timbers aflame. The theatre was rebuilt the following year, but the Puritans - who didn't believe in such entertainment - closed it down in 1642. It was destroyed in 1644 to make way for homes and it wasn't until excavation work was being done in 1989 that the original location of the theatre was finally revealed.

The New Globe William Shakespeare The new Globe Theatre, built according to Elizabethan plans, was the brainchild of American actor and director Sam Wanamaker. The theatre, as designed by architect Theo Crosby, opened in 1997. It is located on Bankside, about 183 meters (200 yards) from the original site. It was the first building with a thatched roof allowed to be built in London since the Great Fire of 1666. Similar to the original, the stage of the new Globe Theatre extends into a large circular yard, which is surrounded by three tiers of very steep seating. The most expensive seats are covered. All others are exposed, which is why plays are held here only during the summer months. Additional standing room for about 700 is available at a very low cost for those who don't mind remaining erect during the entire production. (Sitting in the yard is not allowed!) In total, the theatre can accommodate about 1,300 patrons, less than half of the 3,000 or so who could attend productions during Shakespeare's time. While designers tried to remain as faithful to the old plans as possible, there are modern differences that are apparent.

Lighting is state-of-the-art, sprinklers are ever-present, and there is a lobby and visitor center for guests as well as an expanded backstage area for the actors and technical staff. Though the Globe Theatre is not open for productions during the winter, tours of the facility are available year-round. The Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre The original Globe was an Elizabethan theatre which opened in Autumn 1599 in Southwark, on the south bank of the Thames, in an area now known as Bankside. It was one of several major theatres that were located in the area, the others being the Swan, the Rose and The Hope. The Globe was the principal playhouse of the Lord Chamberlain's Men (who would become the King's Men in 1603). Most of Shakespeare's post-1599 plays were staged at the Globe, including Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear and Hamlet. The Globe was owned by many actors, who (except for one) were also shareholders in the Lord Chamberlain's Men.

Two of the six Globe shareholders, Richard Burbage and his brother Cuthbert Burbage, owned double shares of the whole, or 25% each; the other four men, Shakespeare, John Heminges, Augustine Phillips, and Thomas Pope, owned a single share, or 12.5%. (Originally William Kempe was intended to be the seventh partner, but he sold out his share to the four minority sharers, leaving them with more than the originally planned 10%). These initial proportions changed over time, as new sharers were added. Shakespeare's share diminished from 1/8 to 1/14, or roughly 7%, over the course of his career. The Globe was built in 1599 using timber from an earlier theatre, The Theatre, that had been built by Richard Burbage's father, James Burbage, in Shoreditch in 1576. The Burbages originally had a 20-year lease of the site on which the Theatre was built. When the lease ran out, they dismantled The Theatre beam by beam and transported it over the Thames to reconstruct it as The Globe.

On June 29, 1613, the Globe Theatre went up in flames during a performance of Henry the Eighth. A theatrical cannon, set off during the performance, misfired, igniting the wooden beams and thatching. According to one of the few surviving documents of the event, no one was hurt except a man who put out his burning breeches with a bottle of ale. Like all the other theatres in London, the Globe was closed down by the Puritans in 1642. It was destroyed in 1644 to make room for tenements. Its exact location remained unknown until remnants of its foundations were discovered in 1989 beneath the car park of Anchor Terrace on Park Street (the shape of the foundations are replicated in the surface of the car park). There may be further remains beneath Anchor Terrace, but the 18th century terrace is listed and therefore cannot be disturbed by archaeologists. Layout of the Globe The Globe's actual dimensions are unknown, but its shape and size can be approximated from scholarly inquiry over the last two centuries.

The evidence suggests that it was a three-story, open-air amphitheatre between 97 and 102 feet (29.6 - 31.1M) in diameter that could house up to 3,000 spectators. The Globe is shown as round on Wenceslas Hollar's sketch of the building, later incorporated into his engraved "Long View" of London in 1647. However, in 1997-98, the uncovering of a small part of the Globe's foundation suggested that it was a polygon of 20 (or possibly 18) sides. At the base of the stage, there was an area called the pit, (or, harking back to the old inn-yards, yard) where, for a penny, people (the "groundlings") would stand to watch the performance. Groundlings would eat hazelnuts during performances — during the excavation of the Globe nutshells were found preserved in the dirt — or oranges. Around the yard were three levels of stadium-style seats, which were more expensive than standing room A rectangular stage platform, also known as an 'apron stage', thrust out into the middle of the open-air yard.

The stage measured approximately 43 feet (13.1m) in width, 27 feet (8.2m) in depth and was raised about 5 feet (1.52m) off the ground. On this stage, there was a trap door for use by performers to enter from the "cellarage" area beneath the stage. There may have been other trap doors around the stage. Large columns on either side of the stage supported a roof over the rear portion of the stage. The ceiling under this roof was called the "heavens," and may have been painted with clouds and the sky.[citation needed] A trap door in the heavens enabled performers to descend using some form of rope and harness. The back wall of the stage had two or three doors on the main level, with a curtained inner stage in the center and a balcony above it. The doors entered into the "tiring house" (backstage area) where the actors dressed and awaited their entrances. The balcony housed the musicians and could also be used for scenes requiring an upper space, such as the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.

The modern Globe At the instigation of American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, a new Globe theatre was built according to an Elizabethan plan. The design team comprised Theo Crosby of Pentagram as the architect, Buro Happold as structural and services engineers and Boyden & Co as quantity surveyors. It opened in 1997 under the name "Shakespeare's Globe Theatre" and now stages plays every summer (May to October). Mark Rylance was appointed as the first artistic director of the modern Globe in 1995. In 2006, Dominic Dromgoole took over. The new theatre on Bankside is approximately 225 yards (205m) from the original site, centre to centre, and was the first thatched roof building permitted in London since the Great Fire of London in 1666. As in the original Globe, the theatre is open to the sky and has a thrust stage that projects into a large circular yard surrounded by three tiers of steeply raked seating. 700 tickets to stand (and you must stand, no sitting allowed) in the yard are available for every performance at 5 pounds each.

The only covered parts of the amphitheatre are the stage and the (more expensive) seated areas. Plays are put on during the summer, usually between May and the first week of October. In the winter the theatre is used for educational purposes. Tours are available all year round. The reconstruction was carefully researched so that the new building would be as faithful a replica as possible. This was aided by the discovery as final plans were being made of the site of the original Globe itself. Modernisations include the addition of sprinklers on the roof to protect against fire, and the fact that the theatre is partly joined onto a modern lobby, visitors centre and additional backstage support areas. Due to modern Health and Safety regulations 1,300 people can be housed during a show, under half the estimated 3,000 of Shakespeare's time. Replicas Globe-Theater, Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg, Germany A number of conjectural replicas or free interpretations of the Globe have been built around the world: U.S.A.

OSF Elizabethan Theatre, Ashland, Oregon, built in 1935, rebuilt 1947 and 1959 San Diego, Old Globe Theatre, built in 1935[16] Cedar City, Utah, Adams Shakespearean Theatre Chicago, Illinois, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier, built 1999[17] Dallas, Texas, Old Globe Theatre, built 1936[18] Odessa, Texas, The Globe Theatre Of The Great Southwest Williamsburg, Virginia, Globe Theatre, built 1975 in the Banbury Cross section of Busch Gardens Europe [3] Germany Neuss am Rhein, Globe Neuss, built 1991 Rust, Baden, Germany (in German), Europa-Park (in German), built 2000 Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg The Globe Theatre - DigitalBard The Globe Theatre 5 References The Original Globe The Globe Theatre in London, England, was the first theater venue erected during the Elizabethan era. Prior to the building of the playhouse, a variety of locations were utilized including inns, large public gathering halls, and open green space.

[1] However, after Richard Burbage and James Burbage constructed the Globe in 1597 in Shoreditch, audiences of 3,000 were able to join in watching performances by notable playwrights of the time, including William Shakespeare. [2] Although utilized by various producers and actors, the theatre, also known as Shakespeare’s Globe, is widely known for housing the work of the famous playwright. Sketch of the Swan Theatre Location, History, and Layout While the original Globe Theatre was first located in Shoreditch, the structure was relocated within the next year. Even though the Burbage family owned the theatre itself, the brothers did not have full ownership of the property in which it stood. Learning that their lease would expire and the Globe would be demolished, the company argued the issue with their landlord for two years and relocated the performances to the Curtain playhouse. The Burbage brothers were then able to purchase land in London’s Bankside district, where they decided to rebuild the Globe after disassembling the structure. The new area proved to be a well-suited location in which to attract Globe patrons.

Throughout the Bankside area, individuals participated in activities such as bull-baiting and bear-baiting, which occasionally occurred within the theatre setting. [3] Although the type of space that would have been needed for these activities is known, the actual layout of the original Globe theatre can only be speculated. Written descriptions, building contracts, and stage directions have given limited insight into the design of the theatre. While this is true, a sketch that was drawn of the Swan Theatre during the Elizabethan era is the main tool that is used to make inferences about the space. [4] By combining these resources, it can be suggested that the Globe would be somewhat similar to the Swan theatre space. Destruction While the destruction of the Globe had been avoided in 1598, the rebuilt Globe theatre was eventually burned down. During a performance of Henry VIII, a cannon shot that that was purposefully used as a special effect failed and ultimately set the materials in the thatched roof into flames. The Globe was once again reconstructed and operated until 1642. As Puritans were closing down playhouses, the Globe was not in use and was eventually replaced by tenements on the property.

[5] The Renovated Globe Sam Wanamaker Building the New Globe Due to the efforts of Sam Wanamaker over a period of twenty years, the Globe Theatre was restored in 1997 at its second location. Wanamaker, an actor, producer, and director, had connections to the work of William Shakespeare throughout his career, taking part in a great number of his plays. After extensive research, planning, and development along with the creation of the Shakespeare Globe Trust, International Shakespeare Globe Centre, and Shakespeare’s Globe Museum, Wanamaker was able to begin the three year process. Because of his efforts and publicizing of the endeavor, he was able to create the support that was needed to fund and inform individuals of the historic project. In 1993, the Queen of England pronounced Wanamaker as an Honorary Commander of the British Empire for his influence that he was able to make through the undertaking and in 1997, the Globe reopened to the public. [6] Logistics and Criticism While reconstructing the Globe Theatre, Sam Wanamaker and the architects that were included in the project went to great lengths to ensure that the integrity of the theatre remained intact and the overall essence was captured.

For example, oak woods along with certain spackling techniques on the walls were implicated. Although the small details of the theatre remained the same, several more prominent aspects of the Globe were modernized. In order to fit modern safety precautions, doors and lighting were required to be throughout the space in addition to technologically advanced equipment for the crews. [7] The major change to the theatre, however was the transformation from a platform stage to a picture stage. While the Elizabethan theatres included seating surrounding the stage in a more circular formation, the modernized theatre simply views the play directly in front of their seats. [8] Shakespeare's Connection to the Globe William Shakespeare’s connection to the Globe Theatre originated from documents that labeled him as a member of The Chamberlain's Men a troupe that performed at the theatre. However, once he relocated, he would continuously rotate between the Globe and Blackfriars Playhouse . [9] After Shakespeare became a shareholder in the Globe however, all of his works were produced in the playhouse. [10] A great deal of the Globe Theatre’s success could possibly be attributed to the work and presence of William Shakespeare as an actor within the theatre and a playwright.

Although an accurate representation of the original Globe, the modernized renderings receive various criticisms. Some maintain that when the new theatres advertise to bring the audience “closer to the stage”, their efforts in creating that certain atmosphere do not qualify the space to be fitting for Shakespeare’s work. Instead, it is argued that the smaller details, such as the lack or simplicity of backdrops and scenery in a smaller setting would be more effective. Producers, directors, and actors are now developing their own imitations of the Globe theatre all around the globe. [11] Notes Shakespeare Resource Center - Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Globe Theatre Links | Home (picture credit: Utrecht University Library) The sketch at left is perhaps one of the most important in theatrical history. In 1596, a Dutch student by the name of Johannes de Witt attended a play in London at the Swan Theatre. While there, de Witt made a drawing of the theatre's interior. A friend, Arend van Buchell, copied this drawingvan Buchell's copy is the sketch rendered hereand in doing so contributed greatly to posterity. The sketch is the only surviving contemporary rendering of the interior of an Elizabethan-era public theatre.

As such, it's the closest thing historians have to an original picture of what the Globe may have looked like in its heyday. Shakespeare's company erected the storied Globe Theatre circa 1599 in London's Bankside district. It was one of four major theatres in the area, along with the Swan, the Rose, and the Hope. The open-air, polygonal amphitheater rose three stories high with a diameter of approximately 100 feet, holding a seating capacity of up to 3,000 spectators. The rectangular stage platform on which the plays were performed was nearly 43 feet wide and 28 feet deep. This staging area probably housed trap doors in its flooring and primitive rigging overhead for various stage effects. The story of the original Globe's construction might be worthy of a Shakespearean play of its own. The Lord Chamberlain's Men had been performing in the Theatre, built by James Burbage (the father of Richard Burbage) in 1576. In 1597, although the company technically owned the Theatre, their lease on the land on which it stood expired. Their landlord, Giles Allen, desired to tear the Theatre down.

This led the company to purchase property at Blackfriars in Upper Frater Hall, which they bought for £600 and set about converting for theatrical use. Unfortunately, their aristocratic neighbors complained to the Privy Council about the plans for Blackfriars. Cuthbert Burbage tried to renegotiate the Theatre lease with Giles Allen in autumn of 1598; Allen vowed to put the wood and timber of the building "to better use." Richard and Cuthbert learned of his plans and set in motion a plot of their own. It seems that the company's lease had contained a provision allowing them to dismantle the building themselves. In late December of 1598, Allen left London for the countryside. The Burbage brothers, their chief carpenter, and a party of workmen assembled at the Theatre on the night of December 28. The men stripped the Theatre down to its foundation, moved the materials across the Thames to Bankside, and proceeded to use them in constructing the Globe. The endeavor was not without controversy. A furious Giles Allen later sued Peter Street, the Burbage's carpenter, for £800 in damages.

The courts found in favor of the Lord Chamberlain's Men and ordered Allen to desist from any further legal wrangling. The Globe would play host to some of Shakespeare's greatest works over the next decade. In an ironic epilogue, the troupe won the right in 1609 to produce plays at Blackfriars, and subsequently split time between there and the Globe. In 1613, the original Globe Theatre burned to the ground when a cannon shot during a performance of Henry VIII ignited the thatched roof of the gallery. The company completed a new Globe on the foundations of its predecessor before Shakespeare's death. It continued operating until 1642, when the Puritans closed it down (and all the other theatres, as well as any place, for that matter, where people might be entertained). Puritans razed the building two years later in 1644 to build tenements upon the premises. The Globe would remain a ghost for the next 352 years. The foundations of the Globe were rediscovered in 1989, rekindling interest in a fitful attempt to erect a modern version of the amphitheater.

Led by the vision of the late Sam Wanamaker, workers began construction in 1993 on the new theatre near the site of the original. The latest Globe Theatre was completed in 1996; Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the theatre on June 12, 1997 with a production of Henry V. The Globe is as faithful a reproduction as possible to the Elizabethan model, seating 1,500 people between the galleries and the "groundlings." In its initial 1997 season, the theatre attracted 210,000 patrons. Globe Theater Globe Theater The First and Second Globe Theaters The Globe was built for in 1599 when the Chamberlain's Men could not renew their lease for their old theater in the north of London. Like many of London's more puritan minded citizens, their landlord Giles Allen considered playacting to the same as prostitution and other vile crimes and didn't want to have the company to continue to operate on his property.

Simply known as "The Theatre", their company's old structure, was slyly taken down lock, stock and thatch when Giles Allen was out of town and moved across the Thames to a new sight in the section of Southwark. The new site also had the benefit of being in a territory that was beyond the control of London's city government. The areas known as "liberties" were sections that originally housed religious structures that were independent of mayor's office. The Globe opened in late 1599 to such plays as Julius Caesar and Hamlet . As You Like It may also have been on the first season's roster as some scholars think the famous line from Jaques "All the World's a Stage" is a jab at their old landlord. As he tried to stop their theatrical endeavors, the more the company showed that they could perform anywhere. The Globe theater as it was rendered in a surveyor's engraving in 1647. The Globe was a roughly cylindricalï¿½probably polygonalï¿½three-storey timber building, unroofed over the stage in the centre.

A rough description can be found in the opening prologue of Henry V as the chorus describes their unworthy scaffold as ï¿½This wooden Oï¿½. Each floor contained open galleries with seats. The galleries extended around much of the circle, and the stage was built out into the center from the remaining part of the building. In the building behind the stage were dressing roomsï¿½the 'tiring house'ï¿½perhaps galleries for musicians, and apparatus for scenery and props. Above the thatched roof rose a tower, or 'penthouse', from which flags were flown and trumpets sounded to announce a production. An 18th-century account asserted that on its facade the Globe sported a painted sign depicting Hercules supporting the planet Earth (one of his legendary tasks was to stand in for Atlas). If this was soï¿½and scholars generally believe it wasï¿½this sign may be alluded to in Hamlet, where the Childrenï¿½s Companies, in a satirical passage on the War of the Theaters, are said to have triumphed over both the players and 'Hercules and his load too' (2.2.358).

This war was a bitter feud between playwrights and companies they were associated with around 1600 when Hamlet was written. Ben Jonson, Shakespeareï¿½s once protï¿½gï¿½ and now friend and fierce rival, was one of the main generals in this volley of verbal and written attacks on playwrights. He considered his art to be the true way to do theater, based on the guidebook set by the Greek philosopher Artistole, his Poetics. Jonson wrote for companies of boy actors that were considered the crï¿½me of polite society and a major source of competition for Shakespeareï¿½s company. Jonson would take satiric jabs at his fellow playwrights by lampooning their scripts, individual lines or the men themselves in each new play he wrote. In kind the playwrights responded back, but the war of words and putdowns only lasted a few years. Through their careers, Jonson always made his opinion known about his fellow writers, Shakespeare seemed mildly amused to indifferent. Period drawing of the Swan theater, similar in structure to the Globe. This is the only drawing of the interior on an open air theater surviving from Shakespeare's time.

On June 29, 1613, the Globe's thatched roof was set on fire by a cannon fired during a performance of Henry VIII, as called for in the stage direction at 1.4.49, and the building burned to the ground. It was open again within a year, rebuilt to much the same plan, but this time the roof was tiled. In 1644, two years after the theatres of England were closed by the revolutionary government, the Globe was torn down and tenements built on the lot. The appearance of the Globe can only roughly be determined, from several drawings of its exterior (in large-scale city scenes), from the specifications in the builder's contract for the Fortune Theatre (which was modeled on the Globe), and by extrapolating from the only sketch of the interior of an Elizabethan playhouse, the Swan Theatre. The New Globe Theater In the 1950's American actor Sam Wannamaker went looking for Shakespeare's Globe on the south side of London only to find a dirty plaque marking the spot where the building stood. After several unsuccessful years of lobbying the British government to rebuild the theater, Wannamaker decided to do it himself.

Completed in 1997, Shakespeare's Globe theater is a close approximation of the famous theater, which stand 200 yards closer to the river than the original. The grounds of the original being paritally under an apartment complex. Since exact dimensions of the original structure had to be guessed, the theater has been slightly modified since its opening. Most modifications come from on going archeological digs at the Rose Theatre located a few blocks away. The theater holds the interesting distinction of being the first building in London in nearly 400 years to apply for a permit to build a roof with thatch. Not even the second Globe had that, they rebuilt with a tile roof. Today the theater sits a capacity of 1000 people, almost half of what the original held and holds both daytime and nighttime showings. An exterior shot of the New Globe. A performance at the Globe, shot from an upper gallery seat.

The Globe Theater burns down - Jun 29, 1613 - HISTORY.com The Globe Theater burns down Share this: The Globe Theater burns down Author The Globe Theater burns down URL Publisher A+E Networks The Globe Theater, where most of Shakespeare’s plays debuted, burned down on this day in 1613. The Globe was built by Shakespeare’s acting company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, in 1599 from the timbers of London’s very first permanent theater, Burbage’s Theater, built in 1576. Before James Burbage built his theater, plays and dramatic performances were ad hoc affairs, performed on street corners and in the yards of inns. However, the Common Council of London, in 1574, started licensing theatrical pieces performed in inn yards within the city limits. To escape the restriction, actor James Burbage built his own theater on land he leased outside the city limits. When Burbage’s lease ran out, the Lord Chamberlain’s men moved the timbers to a new location and created the Globe. Like other theaters of its time, the Globe was a round wooden structure with a stage at one end, and covered balconies for the gentry.

The galleries could seat about 1,000 people, with room for another 2,000 “groundlings,” who could stand on the ground around the stage. The Lord Chamberlain’s men built Blackfriars theater in 1608, a smaller theater that seated about 700 people, to use in winter when the open-air Globe wasn’t practical. Related Videos The Globe Theatre - Home The Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre Location/Layout: The Globe Theatre was a important place in Egland where Shakespeare's plays were preformed. The Globe Theatre was built in London, England in the year 1599. The theatre was built by James Burbages and the Lord Chamberlan's Men (Shakespeare's actors). The Globe was specifically made to preform Shakespear's plays. The building could seat 2000 spectators. Sadly, the Globe Theatre was burned to the ground in June 29, 1613 by a connon that had misfired during a production of Henry the 8th play.

The Lord Chamberlan's Men had built a second Globe Theatre in July 1613, But was closed down by the Puritans in 1644 because they thought the theatre was not good to society and instead of going to the theatre people should be praying. A modern reconstruction of the Globe Theatre was made in 1997 to show Elizabethan plays every summer. This theatre was called Shakespeares Globe. Plays: William Shakespeare was a important part of the Globe Theatre with the plays he had written. Some of the plays that were preformed there were Midsummers Night Dreams, McBeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Jullet, Julius Caesar, Othello, and Titus Andronicus. At the Globe, plays were preformed every Sunday. The way the people would know there was a play happening is that a white colour would be raised form the Globe. There would be 3 copies of each play so more people could see the play and bring in more money. The plays were preformed by Shakespeare's group of actors called the Lord Chamberlan's Men. Back then women weren't allow in the productions. Instead, little boys played the roles of women.

Most of Shakespeares plays were breathe-taking. Audience: The audience was a big part of Shakespeare's plays. The best seat at the Globe was the middle stage bench because you could see the stage and the whole Globe, the middle benches were the most popular. Another seat that was nice was right infront of the stage. If the adience was enjoying the play it would be so quiet you could hear a pin drop. However, if the audience disliked the play they would heckle and throw tomatos at the actors and the stage. Shakespears plays were so amazing that the audience would spent a lot of money just to watch. The "groundings" (working class) could watch a play for a penny. The working class would sit infront of the stage called the pit. Most of the members of the audience were from out of town and woud have to pay a large toll to get over the river, but that did not stop them. If it were not for the audience Shakespears plays would have been pointless. Royal Preformances: One person that was very interested in Shakespeare's plays was the Queen Elizabeth I. She would demand to be the first one to see Shakespeares newest plays.

The queen would pay Shakespeare a fortune to create something new. The days that the queen would want to watch was on the Christmas holidays, New Year Day and Shrovetide which was a holiday in England. The queen though of her to be on another level than the public so she never went to public plays. Here are some links to other great sites about the globe. The Globe Theatre | English (ELA) | Media Gallery | PBS LearningMedia Average rating: 5 stars - 1 rating The Globe Theatre This media collection from Shakespeare Uncovered explores the origins, unique characteristics and challenges presented by the 17th century Globe Theatre. Students will take a glimpse into the world of Elizabethan theater by watching actors perform scenes from Shakespeare’s plays on the stage of Shakespeare’s Globe, a modern-day replica of the Globe Theatre located one hundred feet from the original. The videos will show how the Globe Theatre, with its rounded structure and open-air space, was perfectly made for Shakespeare’s style of storytelling and highly spirited Elizabethan audiences. The History Behind the Globe | Shakespeare Uncovered In this video from Shakespeare Uncovered, host Jeremy Irons introduces the audience to the origins of the Globe Theatre.

In 1599 William Shakespeare's company of actors was performing in a building called the Theatre, but the landlord wouldn't renew the lease. Unfazed, the company simply dismantled the structure, transported it to the banks of the Thames River, and reassembled it as the Globe Theatre. Permitted Use: The Globe is the Stage for Shakespeare In this video from <em>Shakespeare Uncovered</em>, Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe describes the carnival atmosphere of the Globe Theatre and how the theater lends itself equally well to comedy and epic drama. He describes the Globe audience playing an important role as the actors incorporated audience responses into the overall performance. Shakespeare wrote specifically for the Globe Theatre and the lively and boisterous Elizabethan audiences of his day. Permitted Use: A Staging Challenge for the Old Globe <em>The Tempest</em>, a magical play set on a remote island, presented a great staging challenge for Shakespeare in the Globe Theatre. The open-air Globe provided no way to deal with flying spirits, nor was there the ability to create an atmosphere of total darkness.

Trevor Nunn, show host of <em>Shakespeare Uncovered</em>, explores Shakespeare’s dilemma and finds the solution in a modern-day production in Stanton, Virginia. Permitted Use: In this video from Shakespeare Uncovered, host Joely Richardson wanders the empty stage of Shakespeare's Globe, a modern-day replica of the Globe Theatre, and talks about the synergies between audiences and performers. Permitted Use: The History Behind the Globe | Shakespeare Uncovered In this video from Shakespeare Uncovered, host Jeremy Irons introduces the audience to the origins of the Globe Theatre. In 1599 William Shakespeare's company of actors was performing in a building called the Theatre, but the landlord wouldn't renew the lease. Unfazed, the company simply dismantled the structure, transported it to the banks of the Thames River, and reassembled it as the Globe Theatre. Background Essay The Globe Theatre began as an earlier venue simply known as The Theatre. Founded in 1576 by James Burbage in an area of London known as Shoreditch, it was England’s first permanent playhouse.

By 1594, William Shakespeare was a member of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a company that made their home in The Theatre. Among his colleagues was Richard Burbage, the son of James Burbage and a leading actor within the company. Six members of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, including Shakespeare and James Burbage, held an ownership stake in the company. When The Theatre’s 21-year land-lease expired in 1598, a conflict arose between the company and the owner of the land on which the theater stood. In response, the company dismantled the timbers of The Theatre and re-assembled them on the south bank of the River Thames in Southwark, a polluted area full of tenements and factories, including tanneries and glassworks. The location reflected theatre-going’s lower stature at this time; by Queen Elizabeth I’s mandate, theaters had been banished to the outskirts of the city. With this move, The Theatre was rebuilt as a larger, open-air venue with a new name, the Globe Theatre. Re-opened by the fall of 1599, the Globe Theatre was a massive auditorium that could accommodate about 3,000 people.

Elizabethan theaters including the Globe took on round or polygonal shapes that somewhat mimicked places, like cock-fighting arenas or inn yards, where theatrical performances were held in earlier days. Covered in straw, the Globe stage was approximately 43 feet in length and 27 feet in depth. There was a thrust stage that extended into an area known as “the pit” where audience members who paid one penny stood in an area that surrounded the stage on all three sides. A three-tiered gallery contained more expensive seating. On stage, there was a wall with doors on both sides for performers to enter and exit, as well as a trapdoor for an element of surprise. Above the stage was a place called “the heavens” for performers who “flew in” from an overhead entrance. The Globe differed from theaters that preceded it in that it was “purpose-built “to accommodate stage props and special effects, such as fireworks and cannon blasts for battle scenes. In the highly competitive atmosphere of Elizabethan theater, the Globe was the most popular theater of its time, supporting a lively marketplace for goods outside the theater prior to performances and a carnival-like atmosphere within where performers engaged with audiences.

In 1613, the Globe Theatre burned to the ground during a performance of Henry VIII when a special effect involving gunpowder went awry. A second Globe was built on the same location in 1614. The success and popularity of the Globe came to a halt only once the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell came to power and in 1642 banned all stage plays. Under their orders, the Globe Theatre was destroyed in 1644. Discussion Questions 1. In the video "The History Behind the Globe," how did Shakespeare’s company solve their problem with their landlord? 2. In the video "The Globe is the Stage for Shakespeare," what are the reasons given to explain why the Globe Theatre was the ideal theater for Shakespeare? Why did Shakespeare’s plays work especially well in this theater? 3. What do you observe about the modern day audience in The Globe is the Stage for Shakespeare? What does Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe, point out about the Shakespearian audience? What does Joely Richardson say about the synergy between performers and audiences during Shakespeare’s time in "The Globe and Its Audience?" 4.

In the video "A Staging Challenge for the Globe Theatre," what was Shakespeare’s staging challenge for The Tempest in the Globe Theatre? How did he solve it? What does the production in the Blackfriars Playhouse in Virginia attempt to do? 5. Based on what you know, how are plays usually presented today and how is it different from the way plays were presented in Shakespeare’s day at the Globe Theatre? Consider the architecture of the building, the emphasis or lack of emphasis on language, spectacle, technology, the actor and audience relationship as well as the behavior of the audience. What has changed? What remains the same?

Question: Where was the original Globe Theatre located?
Answer: London