Public Theatres In The Elizabethan Era

These theaters consisted of schools, churches, factories, and closed off streets (Ross) . This may have been one influence to the off-off-broadway theatre movement, later in the 1960’s. They did not produce shows in every state because many lacked the proper theatre professionals (Flanagan). However, 40 states did have shows running and before this many people did not have access to such a luxury. Theatre was very expensive in the 1930’s.

The Astra was one of the first to have air conditioning, to emphasize this, they put up penguin posters to bring people in. Some went, not to see the movies, but to feel the air conditioning. The cost being 12 to 10 cents, was a good deal to cool off and watch a movie, so the theater became a very popular place. Although the effects of the Great Depression seemed to have impacted other Indiana theaters, the Astra remained strong. Bernie used to say, “Now this is the business to be into; where everybody pays.”

Most didn’t sit and watch in silence like today.” (The Globe Theater, Robson). The Audience presented their emotions towards the show if they felt like it. If they did not like the play they would throw things and booed to the actors, on the other hand if they did like the play that was showing they would cheer on and encourage the things that were happening on stage. People in this time acted and knew differently than people do

In the Elizabethan Era, the low-class people, such as laborers and yeoman, had a struggle living than the high-class people, such as the nobles and monarchs. The Capulet family are high ranked: “They are nobles” (www.prezi.com). The Montague family are also Nobles. This explains why Romeo’s and Juliet’s mother and father have the title “Lord” or “Lady” in front of their last name. Lord Capulet held a big party for the nobles, so that means the family has a lot of money.

Also when the plague had outbreaks they would shut down theaters where he had his

Oscar Wilde wrote his plays against the backdrop of the Victorian English society. It therefore helps to discuss the salient aspects of the Victorian society. Victorian England is known for many paradoxes -- glaring contrasts between the rich and the poor, insistence on morality on the one hand and the practice of cynicism on the other, blooming creativity pitted against blatant constriction, imperial grandeur since Britain was then ruling almost one fifth of the total surface of the earth and domestic squalor since the majority of people did not have decent means of livelihood, and finally collectivity dictated by tradition opposed to the rapidly developing individualism. The class system denied the talented members of the lower classes access to social and economic advancement. The upper classes alone had the privilege of working in the government, the armed forces, and the church, while trade was monopolized by the rising middle class.

Question 1-Shakespeare in Love Shakespeare in love as a comedy Shakespeare in love is comedy that provides a clear juxtaposition of Shakespeare’s live in Elizabethan time and creates allusions to his works and modern times with allusion to famous Hollywood films. Aspects of the Elizabethan times are evidently displayed throughout the play. The clothing worn by the actors and actresses was characterised by doublets, breeches, gowns, corsets, collars, ruffs and hats. It was evident that there was a clear class division.

The theatre was shaped in a circular format with and no roof, so that the performances would be provided with lighting from the sun, “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 spectator” (The Shakespeare Resource Center 2017). Its circular shape allowed for multiple viewers and all around seating. The higher covered sections provided seats for the nobility and the pit was where the poor could view the show with standing room only. Everyone wanted to see one Shakespear’s brilliant plays, and with the arrangement of seat and standing prices, most could.

English theater was criticized in its early days, Christianity decrees ensured that theater was practically unheard of for hundreds of years. That all changed when the church itself resurrected theater for its own use in the middle ages. It started Miracle Plays that portrayed stories of the bible. This, however, started theater groups that started portraying their own plays for profit and entertainment. All of these early English plays were solely made, portrayed, played and viewed by males of the era.

“The theatre, for all its artifices, depicts life in a sense more truly than history, because the medium has a kindred movement to that of real life, though an artificial setting and form.” George Santayana Drama is one of the genres of theatre where comedy, tragedy or actions may be other genres. While drama refers to the written texts, prose or verses composition, which become theatre only when it is performed on the stage with actors performing the role of characters in the text in front of the audience i.e. it is abstract and subjective, theatre is a live performance that meant to be seen, it is physical and concrete. The renaissance period was considered the rebirth of several inspirational

However, according to Rob Doggett, “Yeats now conceptualized ‘an unpopular theatre, with an audience like a secret society where admission is by favour and never to many,” (Doggett 1). Doggett is suggesting that Yeats bailed on the Abbey Theatre to create a new secret theatre for those who were wealthy enough for it: almost like a secret club with bouncers where only the elite were allowed on the guest list. Yeats didn’t want the middle class filling up his theatre anymore. Doggett observes, “he evokes the figure of the ‘hostess’ that clichéd reminder of Big House culture where the wealthy might dabble in art as rent-strapped peasants starve” (Doggett 2). Doggett is realizing the shift in Yeats as he starts to idealize the aristocrats and Big House culture which I would go further to say that one might see a shift in Yeats’ purpose for putting on shows.

From Colonial Williamsburg Theatre to Broadway, theatre is ever-changing. The differences in each era of theatre are vast; the costumes, staging, acting techniques, and audiences all vary drastically from each other. The major eras and genres of American theatre include the colonial era, the Post-Revolution era, the Civil War era, Broadway, and Post-Modern—all with unique and varying aspects to them. Although the first permanent English settlement occurred at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, according to Richard Hornby’s article The Crisis in the American History, the entire 17th century passed with no mention of theatrical productions or performances in the Colonies (Hornby).

For example, the use of supernatural beings, violence on stage and even tragedy, Therefore Playwrights such as William Shakespeare could be a good example of such a technique. For the English Renaissance to be a success differently theatres were built. Some were public others were private. Some of the public theatres were; -

“William Shakespeare’s Impact on Theater” says that “Theater, in particular, has experienced many changes due to his influence,” and without any major influence like Shakespeare to guide the changes of theater, it would be extremely different (Octane 1). Shakespeare introduced many new elements to theater because of how his writing was unique in his time period. Despite this, his writing appealed to many different audiences. For instance, Octane says that “The way in which Shakespeare’s plots move forward has helped define modern play-writing. Similarly, Shakespeare’s complex characterizations have brought forth a new type of storytelling in which characters’ choices drive plots forward” and “His plays were often imbued with universal truths of human existence, rather than acting as mirrors of the privileged life.

Today there are three theatres still standing in Rome and some are in better conditions than others. When people think of Roman theatres they often tend to forget how grand they really are. Instead, many tourists believe that they are just as simple as their Greek counterparts, which is simply untrue. The ancient Romans did not hold back when it came to creating their world renowned