Shakespeare's+Globe



**Shakespeare's Globe**  Built in 1599, the Globe used timber from an earlier theatre, The Theatre, which had been previously built by Richard Burbages father, James Burbage, in Shoreditch in 1576. The Burbages had a 12-year lease of the site on which their teahtre was built, but they owned the building outright. However, Giles Allen, the landlord of the site, claimed that the building had become his with the expiration of the lease. While Allen was celebrating Christ at his home on December 28, 2588, Peter Street, with his fellow friends and partners, dismantled the Theatre. They transported it to the Street’s waterfront warehouse near Bridewell. When more favorable weather came during the next spring, all of the material from The Theatre was ferried over the Thames in order to reconstruct it into a new playhouse on some marshy grounds to the south of Maiden Lane, Southwark.  Originally, the Globe was owned by a group of actors who were also shareholders in the Lord Chamberlain’s men. Richard Burbage and Cuthbert, brothers and two of the six Globe shareholders, owned double shares of the whole, while the four others, William Shakespeare, John Heminges, Augustine Phillips, and Thomas Pope, each had a single share.  During a performance of //Henry the Eighth//, a play by Shakespeare himself, on June 29, 1613, the Globe Theatre went up into flames because a theatrical canon, set up for the performance, misfired and ignited the thatching and wooden beams. According to some of the few surviving documents of the event, no one was injured, hurt, or burned, except a man who’s pants caught on fire (but they were doused out with a bottle of ale). The following year however, the Globe was rebuilt.
 * History **

In 1642, the Globe, among all the other theatres in London was shut down by the English Parliament, under the force of the Puritans. It was dismantled by the Puritans in 1644 to make room for urban apartment buildings. In 1648, all playhouses were ordered to pulled down, and the players were tortured and anyone caught attending a play would be fined. In 1660, with the Restoration of the English monarchy and the demise in power of the Puritans, theatres finally reopen again. Sadly, the Globe was never rebuilt. However, during the 20th century, a new reconstruction of the Globe Theatre has been built near the spot, and still stands to this day. ** * - * - * - * **

 Layout <span style="font-size: 90%; color: #800012; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 80%; color: #800012; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; msoansilanguage: ENmsoAnsiLanguage;"> <span style="font-size: 80%; color: #800012; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; msoansilanguage: ENmsoAnsiLanguage;"><span style="font-size: 80%; color: #800012; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; msoansilanguage: ENmsoAnsiLanguage;">     <span style="font-size: 80%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; msoansilanguage: ENmsoAnsiLanguage;">The Globe Theatre is a three-story, open-air amphitheatre that is approximately 100 feet in diameter. It can hold up to 3,000 spectators. Wenceslas Hollar’s sketch of the building, later incorporated into his engraved “Long View” of London 1647, shows the Glove is round. When uncovering small parts of the Globe’s foundation in 1988 – 1989, it was discovered that it was in fact a polygon of 20 sides.

The pit, or the yard, was an area that was located at the base of the stage. People who paid a penny, ‘groundlings’ would stand on the earthen floor to watch theatrical performances. Hazelnuts, a common ‘munching’ food, much like today’s popcorn, was commonly eaten during these performances, and their shells almost seemed to form a new surface layer that was found in recent excavations. Around the yard were three levels of stadium-style seats, which of course were more expensive than standing room along. (If standing was one shilling, sitting would be over three shillings.)

The large rectangular platform, also known as an ‘apron stage’ extended out into the middle of the open-air yard. It was raised approximately five feet off the ground. Conclusively, it was rather easy for groundlings to throw objects at the actors, putting them in some mild danger. Over this stage however, was a trap door that was used by the performers to enter from an area beneath the stage. <span style="font-size: 80%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 80%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; msoansilanguage: ENmsoAnsiLanguage;"> On the back wall of the stage, there were three more doors on the main level, with a curtain inner stage in the center and a balcony above it. These doors lead into the “tiring house” – or the backstage area – where the actors prepared and dressed, awaiting their exits and entrances. Also, the balcony aforementioned housed the musicians and also could be used for scenes requiring an upper space, an example being the balcony scene in //Romeo and Juliet//. <span style="font-size: 80%; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; msoansilanguage: ENmsoAnsiLanguage;"> On either side of the stage, large columns support the roof over the rear portion of the stage. The “heavens” were the ceiling under this roof, and they were painted with pictures of the sky and clouds. Actors were able to descend from the heavens with the aid of a trap door and a rope or harness.



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