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The Globe Theatre “All the world’s a stage” The globe theatre is a place with a very rich history. A place that has been graced by some of the most highly regarded playwrights and actors in the world. Including William Shakespeare, who in fact was not only one of the theatres most pronoun inspirations but also a founder as well. The globe theatre was in fact the venue that many of Shakespeare’s plays were first produced, including his four great tragedies.
The theatre itself was built in the beginning years of the Elizabethan age by one of Shakespeare’s dearest friends and allies, Cuthbert Burbage, who was the brother of one of the most well known Shakespearean actors, Richard Burbage. Sometime later Burbage acquired yet another theatre in London the very first of its kind so it was simply called, The Theatre. Although there was a catch while all of the things that made up the theatre and everything inside of the building was Burbage’s the very land it sat upon was not.
Burbage’s father was leasing the land the theatre was on and they could not seem to come to terms with an agreement so his father tore down the theatre. All was not lost though Burbage decided to use the left over timber and building materials to make something that would change the history of plays forever, The Globe Theatre. Before construction of the globe began there was an agreement between founders that the globe was to have only the most prestigious plays and actors to pass through its doors.
This theatre was built special for chamberlain’s men including their chief writer, yes, William Shakespeare. The lease for the land and the ownership of the Globe was divided in two: fifty percent of the assets were owned by Cuthbert and, Richard Burbage; the other fifty percent stake was apportioned among five other members of the Chamberlain’s men, John Heminge, Augustine Phillips, Thomas Pope, Will Kempe, and, Shakespeare himself.
The globe was revolutionary in its ideas and its design and structure as well. The globe could hold up to 3,000 people. There was no lighting so all performances had to be preformed during daylight hours. If the weather allowed this of course. There was no acoustics so actor had to shout their lines and make everything exaggerated from their facial expressions to their movements. This could be what some consider the origins of Broadway musicals.
The oddest thing to modern playgoers would have to be that there was no background scenery in the plays back then. The changing of scenes was also done differently it was done by actors not stage hands and it was normally made apparent through the writing not necessarily a change of scenery. The globe theatre was and still is a very important part of Shakespeare’s advance into the world of being a successful playwright. The globe is still considered one of the most interesting things in British literature.