English Drama developed into a sophisticated and very popular art form guring the reign of Elizabeth I. Prior to this, theatre companies travelled about the country putting on plays wherever they could find an audience, performing in open courtyards of inns where spectators watched either from the ground or from balconies or galleries.
The first theatre known to London was 'The Theather' located just beyond the city walls in Shoreditch which was build by an actor by the name of James Burbage. Burbage and other prominent and 'well-to-do' actors were often frowned upon by the city fathers but were widely popular with the common people who shouted loudly and insisted to see them perform in plays. They were also considered as rogues and vagabonds by some.
In the year 1597, 'The Theatre' was closed by the city fathers. It was later dismantled and hauled to pieces by Richard Burbage, James son, and moved across to Southwark. After six months of rebuilding, it was then renamed 'The Globe'. Although noone really knows what the Globe looked like, scholars assume that it had a round or octagonal shape since Shakespeare refers to the building as 'this wooden O' in Henry V. The structure had to have been small enough to ensure that the actors would be heard, knowing that performance could draw audiences as large as 25,000 to 30,000 people. The structure had no sets or lighting so plays were performed in bright afternoon sunlight.
The Globe was deminished in 1613 when a cannon fired as part of a performance of Henry VIII, ignited the theatre's thatched, burning it to the ground. Everyone escaped unharmed. The theater was rebuilt but was later permenantly closed in 1642 by the Puritans. On June8, 1997, The New Globe was opened to its full season by an American actor named Sam Wanamakers.
Group Members:
Garicia Mack
Kamarie Jacobs
Dacia Benjamin
Arantxa Lewis
Brantella Williams
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