A Shakespearean Theater for the 21St Century Exhibition Script

National Building Museum Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century Exhibition script Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century In 1599, a company of actors known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men built a public theater on a site outside London. Named the Globe, the theater soon achieved commercial success largely due to the popular appeal of works by its resident playwright, William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Although it was just one of several similar structures built in England during that time, the Globe has assumed a mythic status because of its strong association with Shakespeare. Scholars, actors, and directors have studied the Globe extensively in an effort to understand the playwright’s life and work more fully. Despite this exhaustive research, however, the exact appearance, size, and shape of the Globe, which was demolished in 1644, remain elusive. In the nearly four centuries since Shakespeare’s death, his plays have been performed regularly and translated into every major language. Dozens of theaters dedicated to Shakespeare have been built around the world, drawing from diverse architectural sources. Some were designed to evoke the character of true Elizabethan theaters despite the lack of definitive information about those original structures. Others simply reflect the prevailing architectural styles of the eras in which they were constructed. This exhibition traces Shakespearean theaters from the 16th century to the present. It culminates with a series of proposals commissioned by the National Building Museum for hypothetical, 21st-century Shakespearean theaters. These projects suggest innovative approaches to the challenge of presenting 400-year-old plays to modern audiences. In doing so, they also offer insights into the complex interrelationships between dramatic performances and the spaces that accommodate them. Throughout this exhibition, the National Building Museum uses the American spelling of the word “theater” except when it is part of a proper name that uses the British spelling (“theatre”). Last revised 1/9/2007 1 National Building Museum Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century Exhibition script Elizabethan Theater The nearly 45-year reign of Queen Elizabeth I, from 1558 to 1603, is widely regarded as a golden age in English cultural history, noted for the exceptional quality and quantity of literary drama written during the period. Prior to the Elizabethan Era, itinerant troupes of professional actors performed throughout England in town halls, schoolhouses, and various ad hoc venues. By the mid-to-late 16th century, the growing popularity of theater created a demand for new facilities built especially for the presentation of plays, particularly in London. The construction of such buildings was opposed, however, by Puritans and others who considered secular drama vulgar or even profane. As a result, most of the earliest public playhouses were built outside the city proper, often in seedy districts known for rowdy taverns, brothels, and even “bear-baiting” arenas, in which patrons would place bets on fights between chained bears and packs of dogs. The first structure in the London area built expressly for theatrical productions was the Red Lion, completed in 1567. It was followed in 1576 by an establishment known simply as the Theatre, the name of which soon entered common usage as a new, generic term for a playhouse. All told, at least twelve public and six private theaters were built in and around London during Shakespeare’s lifetime. View of London in 1600 Civitas Londini…, 1600 Published by John Norden; Engraver unknown Engraving (reproduction) By permission of the Royal Library, Stockholm This engraving provides a panoramic view of London near the end of the Elizabethan Era. Visible at left center is the area known as Bankside (or Southwark), site of several prominent theaters that also appear in the inset map at lower right. Last revised 1/9/2007 2 National Building Museum Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century Exhibition script The highlighted structures are: 1. The Rose (completed in 1587) 2. The Swan (completed in 1596) 3. The Globe (completed in 1599) 4. The Bear Garden, a bear-baiting ring that was converted into the Hope theater in 1614 The Rose Bankside, now part of London, United Kingdom Completed: 1587 Demolished: Sometime after 1606 The Rose was the first public theater built in Bankside (also known as Southwark), an area south of the River Thames that was notorious for its brothels and gambling establishments. Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus premiered at the Rose, as did works by his famous contemporaries, including Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. Archaeologists discovered the remains of the Rose during an exploratory dig in 1989. The subsequent excavation of the site provided substantial direct information about the size and design of Elizabethan theaters. Top: Conjectural drawing of a performance at the Rose, 1999 William Dudley, based on drawings by Jon Greenfield and C. Walter Hodges Digital rendering Courtesy of The Rose Theatre Trust, London Bottom left, right: Excavation diagram showing original foundations of the Rose Cordelia Hall and Peter Hart Allison, based on excavation data by Julian Bowsher and Jon Greenfield Digital drawing Courtesy of the Museum of London Archaeology Service Excavation diagram showing evidence of later modifications to the Rose Cordelia Hall and Peter Hart Allison, based on excavation data by Julian Bowsher and Jon Greenfield Last revised 1/9/2007 3 National Building Museum Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century Exhibition script Digital drawing Courtesy of the Museum of London Archaeology Service The Swan Bankside, now part of London, United Kingdom Built: 1594-96 Demolished: Sometime after 1632 In 1596, a Dutch scholar named Johannes de Witt visited the Swan—the second theater built in Bankside—and sketched its interior. A copy of that drawing, made by Aernout (or Arendt) van Buchell, survives today. While it is impossible to know how faithfully van Buchell reproduced the original, the drawing is nevertheless the only extant contemporary depiction of an Elizabethan stage. The exterior of the Swan appeared in several contemporary engravings of London, including one by Claes Jansz. Visscher, a detail of which is reproduced here. Visscher’s rendering showed the Swan and other theaters as hexagons or octagons in plan. Current scholarship suggests that the structures actually had many more sides, a discovery that casts doubt on the general accuracy of Visscher’s engraving. Top: Sketch of the Swan, showing the stage and adjacent galleries, after 1596-97 Arendt van Buchell, after a drawing by Johannes de Witt Manuscript, pen and brown ink on paper (reproduction) Courtesy of the University Library, Utrecht Detail from Londinum florentissima Britanniae urbs ..., showing the Swan, ca. 1625 Claes Jansz. Visscher Engraving (reproduction) By permission of the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. Last revised 1/9/2007 4 National Building Museum Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century Exhibition script Plan of London, from Civitates Orbis Terrarum, vol. 1, 1572 Frans Hogenberg Engraving with hand-coloring (reproduction) Courtesy of UCL Art Collections, University of London In the 1570s, before most of the Elizabethan-era theaters were built, the south bank of the Thames was already the site of bear-baiting arenas and other less reputable establishments. The Long View of London, 1647 Wenceslaus Hollar Engraving (reproduction) By permission of the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. This engraving by Wenceslaus Hollar is considered one of the most credible renderings of 17th- century London, despite the fact that it includes a significant error: the labels for the Globe and the nearby bear-baiting arena are reversed. The Globe, mistakenly labeled “Beere bayting h,” appears as a large round structure at left center. Presumably, the structure depicted here was the second Globe, built in 1614 on the original site after the original building burned down. Scholars believe that this structure, like the first, was polygonal in plan; Hollar’s round form may have been a simplification to make the building easier to draw. Last revised 1/9/2007 5 National Building Museum Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century Exhibition script The Globe The Globe was built out of timbers salvaged from an earlier playhouse, and followed the standard design for public theaters of the era. It featured an open-air courtyard in which audience members known as “groundlings” stood, exposed to the elements, to watch performances. Surrounding the courtyard were tiered “galleries,” where patrons who paid extra enjoyed better views and protection from the weather. Although the theater could accommodate some 3,000 people, its layout—with a “thrust” stage extending into the audience—fostered an intimate relationship between actors and spectators. Audiences were typically boisterous, often drinking, eating, and shouting comments during performances. Plays were presented with few props and little custom scenery. The original Globe stood until 1613, when a cannon fired during a performance of Henry VIII ignited the thatch roof covering the galleries. The resulting fire destroyed the theater. A second Globe, built on the same site, opened in 1614. In 1642, the Puritan- led Parliament ordered all

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