Shakespearean Performance

Holly A. Baber
Communication Studies - UNT
Denton, TX 76203

This page is designed for COMM 5560 at the request of
Dr. Kelly Taylor. Hi, Richard.

Shakespearean Performance
1574-1642
latter 1/2 of Elizabeth's rule - Charles I

Background

In 1572, Queen Elizabeth and her ministers put through Parliament the "Act for the Punishment of Vagabonds". Performers were deemed rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy beggars.....and punished. Thus the acting troupe was born. Groups were organized with the patronage of a nobleman. With sponsorship, actors again entered London (where the money was) and set up home bases. The first noble to endorse a troupe was James Burbage, Earl of Liecester.
The Shakespearean Stage ended abruptly in 1642 with the outbreakk of Civil War (damn Yankees!!). Parliament announced that war was no time for public sports. The stage ceased: theatres were boarded until the rule of the monarchy returned with Charles II in 1660. Thus began Restoration.


Did You Know???
Shakespeare's plays were not written for the proscenium stage?
Plays were written with no scenery
The stage itself had multi-acting levels
Most audiences were about 2500
Elaborate, but highly mobile, props were wheeled on and off as the scenes dictated
Most locations were circular or hexagonal

Actors
> all men (8-9) lead, boys for female roles
> acted in troupes
> represented by a noble
> each troupe was run like a company

Costumes
> more money invested in costumes than props
> colors had specific meanings
red = blood black = gloom, evil yellow = sun
white = purity scarlet = doctor gray = friar
serving men = blu
> pepper, tobacco, sea-water, and puke were invented
> Gods wore exotic costumes

Music
> most often played from balcony above
the 'tirint house'
> used: pipe, fiddle, flute, lute, trumpet,
mandolin, and violin

Public houses v. Private houses
The long-waged debate between the two types of theatres still lives. Some agreements, however, have been made. Both were used for during the Elizabethean Era, and both deserve recognition.
Public houses were often bear gardens (see "Interesting Additions") which were town gatherings. These houses charged less, held more people, relied on natural light (daylight), only had adult performers, often used the noisier instruments, i.e. canon, war trumpets, bagpipes, and military drums. Pyrotechnics were also incorporated into performances.

Stages
> dominated by a platform, 40 ft. long
40 ft. wide
> dressing room (tiring house) was used
as off stage area for actors
> middle portion of stage was discovery
space
> above tiring house was a balcony used
for musicians or expensive seats
> a room with a thatched roof was above
the tiring house, held pulleys and ropes
and a flag to announce performances

Interesting Additions
bear-baiting: three bears in ascending size are set upon by an English hound in a fight to the death! Sound barbaric? Yeah. But, this sort of entertainment was almost as popular as acting.

fencing: less gruesome, this civilized sport also took place before plays.

dumb-shows/processions: parades or spectacles, these formal groups used all the most ornate costumes they owned, including crowns and sceptres, torches and swords. Dumbshows appeared at the end of each act to summarize the events of the following act. By the turn of the century, dumb-shows were considered old-fahsioned and corny. Processions were more solemn as actors moved mannequin-like across the stage.

jigs: at the conclusion of a play, the actors would dance around the stage. Separate from the plays, these were bawdy, knockabout song-and-dance farces. Frequently resembling popular ballads, jigs were often commentaries on politics or religion.

masques: masques were plays put on strictly by the royals. These were celebrations, i.e. royal weddings or winning a battle. Designed as banquets of the senses, these celebrations spanned several days during which each member of the party played a part in the allegorical theme of the banquet. Masques were always held in private playhouses.


Here are a few interesting sites about Shakespeare, the controversy surrounding the author, and examples of music of the times.

Shakespeare The Shakespeare Mystery

Shakespearean Insults by Michael Shockley

Classical MIDI Archives © 1997 Pierre R. Schwob


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