ELIZABETHAN THEATER

2. ELIZABETHAN THEATER • An Elizabethan theater company was a thoroughly cooperative venture. The players shared the ownership of the props, scripts, and costumes--costumes being the most costly investment. The taffeta for the dresses of two ladies in one production could cost a company more than an actor earned in two months. The Chamberlain Company, which Shakespeare joined, had even bought their own theater, the Globe. Other troupes had not taken company ownership that far; instead, they played in theaters whose owners were not troupe members. • Women were not allowed to play onstage, and the boys who played the female roles were not considered effeminate by most Elizabethans. A Renaissance man could write poetry, dazzle in jewels and silk, wear perfume, and cry, suffering no loss of manliness. Boys who apprenticed as actors signed on to a harsh schedule of training in acting, singing, and dancing. Before they could play a leading role such as Juliet, the actors had to know their profession well, move gracefully, and use their voices convincingly. Those who were good could live well on their incomes. • Writing plays, however, did not pay well, so Shakespeare wrote his plays at lightening speed, often working on two or more at a time. As a playwright he became famous, but it was his fine acting by which he made a good living. • Elaborate props and scenery were not used much on the Elizabethan stage. Shakespeare's poetry itself creates sets and scenery, turning day into night or a festive hall into a fetid tomb as fast as the imagination can follow. Nevertheless, Elizabethan drama was supported by sophisticated stage construction unsurpassed by modern theaters. The Globe, an octagonal three-level structure, provided for sweeping, continuous action where scenes shifted instantly by using upper and lower stages, balconies, and alcoves. Illusion was further achieved by an elaborate system of doors, trap doors, and stage machinery.