Shakespeare's Globe
- Julianna Musumeci
- Jun 7, 2017
- 2 min read
View of Shakespeare’s Globe.
The company is currently playing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night for the summer season.
Let’s admit it. Most people don’t understand Shakespeare’s language. But if you ever studied Shakespeare’s work, you’ll come to realize it can be quite inspirational. There’s at least one Shakespeare play people are familiar with. It might be the infamous love story of Romeo Juliet or the tragedy of Hamlet. Yet, maybe people wouldn’t know Shakespeare plays existed back then if it wasn’t performed on stage. The Globe Theatre in London was famous for showcasing most of Shakespeare’s plays after 1599.
During the Elizabethan era (1558- 1603), The Globe Theatre stood on the Bankside of London along with 3 other major theaters, being The Rose, The Hope, and The Swan. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare’s playing company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.
Sadly, the theater we see today is not the original theater. It was burned down by flames in 1613 during to the presentation of King Henry VIII. During one of the scenes, a cannon was fired from the attic. Even though a real cannon wasn’t fired, it caused a spark which set the roof on fire. Luckily, no one died but one man did get his trousers on fire. He did manage to set the fire off with his beer. The second Globe did last another 30 years until the civil war broke out. This was when the King left England and the Puritans took control and shut down all theaters for the next 18 years.
The location of the theatre is called Blackfriars.
This was the central area for entertainment during the Elizabethan era.
Today, Shakespeare fans and theater lovers visit the new and improved Shakespeare’s Globe. The building is a replica of the original Globe theater. Rebuilding the Globe was initiated by an actor, director, and producer, Sam Wanamaker. He died before it opened in 1997 but his vision continues to grow. The reconstruction of the new theater is a few hundred yards away from the original site. The new theater is as close as gets to the authenticity of original theater. Like the original Globe, it is an open air theater. Unfriendly weather does not stop the show from production.
View of the stage and architecture of the outdoor theatre.
(Left) The cast of Twelfth Night are rehearing for the evening show.
(Right) Set design for Twelfth Night. The ceiling is called the Heavens.
A sixteenth century rendition of the celestial hemispheres of the constellations used for the new Globe.
Shakespeare continues to be a part of our lives. Many of us quote Shakespeare without realizing it. It doesn’t matter what mood you’re in because there’s probably a Shakespeare play that goes with it. Even with two Globe theaters burnt down, his work lives on till this day.
Take a look inside the exhibition.
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