Renaissance drama - PowerPoint Presentation

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Renaissance drama

Elizabethan theatreSlide2
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Structure of the Elizabethan theatre

one of the most common

form of mass

entertainment 

people of all classes went

to the theatre beautiful costumes and (sometimes) funny language most people stood in front of the stage (was cheaper) audience often took part in the performance: screamed, booed, cheered, ate, drank and even quarelled stage: right in the middle of the audience actors were only males, female parts were played by adolescent boys in women's costume performances took place in the daylight, mainly in the afternoon

Plays were initially performed in London inn courtyards

1574: public performances were banned in London

a few years later a number of public playhouses were

built outside the jurisdiction of London, at first north of

the City, : The theatre (1576), the Curtain (1577); then

others (the Rose (1587), the Swan (1595), and the Globe

(1599) were built south of the Thames.Slide5

Prices – fares

Arena (open yard surrounding the stage) – one penny

Galleries – 2 pennies (standing room)

Galleries – 3 pennies ( seats)

One of the galleries

was divided into small compartments that could be used by the wealthy and aristocrats.

A few seats on the stage Slide6

Companies’ fortune

By law, actors were “vagabonds” and not allowed to perform in public;

looked for patrons’ protection, generally noblemen or even the monarch

wore their patron’s livery

chose their patron’s name:

the Earl of Leicester’s Men

The Lord Chamberlain’s MenThe King’s Men In winter, performances took place at noblemen’s palaces or at CourtSlide7

The Jacobean theatre

Early XVII century

Separation of the theatre audience: the lower and the higher classes no longer attend the same theatre:

Public outdoor theatres attended by ordinary people

Private indoor theatres attended by the nobility

Plays written for the nobility were performed indoor: at court or at noblemen’s palaces.Slide8

Study Questions

What was the most relevant cultural phenomenon throughout the English Renaissance? What were its features?

The Elizabethan theatre can be considered the most significant cultural phenomenon of English Renaissance for its high artistic quality. It celebrated England and the country’s kings and queens, providing a whole mythology to the nation. It was a popular form of entertainment seen by the monarch, nobles, burghers, craftsmen, labourers and peasants.

Mention the names of some playhouses and describe their structure and features.

The plays, first performed in the courtyards of London inns, were later banned from the City being considered either a disturbance or highly immoral. From 1574 new public outdoor playhouses were built north of the city – like “The theatre” or the “Curtain” – but mainly south of the Thames such as the “Rose”, the “Swan”, the “Globe”. The latter was Shakespeare’s company playhouse. The audience was mixed, the prices varied, but entrance could cost as little as 1 penny to stand in the arena (as a “groundling”). Spectators could sit in the galleries or take the few seats on the stage for more money. Plays were performed in the afternoons, actors were in close contact with the public, who could move around, talk, quarrel, eat and drink. Due to this mixture of elements, the atmosphere of Elizabethan public theatres was unique.Slide9

What is it relevant to remember about the actors?

According to the law actors were classified as “vagabonds” and weren’t allowed to perform in public, so they put themselves under the protection of some nobleman or even the queen or the king and to thank them for their generosity and the protection granted they wore their patrons’ liveries and their companies took their names. For instance, Shakespeare’s companies were The Earl of Leicester’s Men, The Lord

Strange’s

Men, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, The King’s Men. Actors could also perform privately at Court or for noble households in winter. Finally, all female roles were acted by young boys

disguised,

a tradition that lasted until the 19

th century.Which changes occurred to the Jacobean theatre which are revealing of contemporary society?While at first theatres had been attended by all social classes, after Elizabeth I ‘s death there was a sharp division between public outdoor theatres only attended by common people and private indoor theatres attended by the nobility. The lower and the higher classes were no longer part of the same audience. Such a division reflects the division that took place in English society in the early 17th century.Study Questions