Shakespeare's Theatre

William Shakespeare, whose words are more often quoted than those of any other dramatist in history, began to write and act when the theatre in England was at the start of a period of rapid change and development. The simple drum-and-trumpet historical chronicles and the crude moral tales of the medieval mystery plays were being overtaken by more sophisticated comedy, tragedy, and historical drama. "Theatres" were introduced for staging the plays, and during Shakespeare's lifetime these began to develop from the type of simple "wooden 0," open to the sky, to early forms of the enclosed theatres with artificial lighting and scenic effects with which we are familiar today. There was a very close relationship between Shakespeare's dramatic writing and the playhouse of the time, and this portfolio draws on his plays, his life story, his colleagues and patrons, to present a vivid picture of his own work in its historical context. Students will see the difficult conditions under which the theatre existed in Elizabeth's reign, the fortunes of the group of players of which Shakespeare was a member, and the way in which the theatre was developing. An inventory of costumes owned by a theatre company, pages from First Folio editions, a conjectural model of the Globe, and other exhibits make this an invaluable and fascinating collection of material for anyone interested in Shakespeare and his world. This portfolio includes a Study Guide with reproducible student activities. 4 Illustrated Broadsheet Essays: * The Elizabethan Theatre * The Chamberlain's Men and the Globe Theatre * The King's Men and a Private Theatre * What was a Performance Like? 10 Primary Source Documents: * A Proclamation against "al maner Interludes" * Pages from "A Groatsworth of Wit bought with a Million of Repentance" * The Revells Booke, Anno: 1605 * Pages from First Folio editions, 1623 * Contract for building the Fortune Theatre, 1599 * Transcript of Exhibit 5 together with transcript of a contract for building the Hope Theatre, 1613 * Material for the reconstruction of an Elizabethan theatre * Conjectural model of the Globe Playhouse * Inventory of Costumes * Transcription of a property list for the Admiral's Company in 1598