History Of The Globe Theater

Theaters have been around for centuries. They originated as buildings specifically for performing plays, but over the years, they have adapted to be used for many other events. One iconic theater was Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London, England. Despite the original (or even the original rebuilt) not being available today, it is a theater that has a high status in the world of literature and plays. With its long history, specific purpose, and unique structure, the Globe Theater has helped shape how modern day theaters work. The Globe Theater, like many older buildings, has an interesting story of its own to tell. Shakespeare and his company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, were forced to rent a playhouse because they unfortunately did not
It was “the first to be built specifically for an existing acting company,” and Shakespeare wrote many of his plays, such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and As You Like It, to fit and compliment how the stage was built (Britannica). Plays today are written so their storylines and stage designs can be adapted to many stages around the world. By crafting his plays around his own theater, Shakespeare provided a different template for how performances can be staged and presented. On the other hand, the Globe’s function differed throughout the year. Nine years after it was built, a compromise was made for both the Blackfriars Theater (a roofed facility also in London) and the Globe. The Globe was to be in use during the summer months, as it was an open-air theater, and the Blackfriars would have its runs in the winter. Despite the opportunity to have another acting company use one of the theaters, Shakespeare and his company kept both of them in their use (Britannica). Nowadays, it would be quite illogical for one acting company to be in control of two theaters. Modern day theaters, with a few exceptions up on the urbane drama center of Broadway, are able to be rented out and used for many purposes, such as concerts, large talks, and radio shows. As time has passed, the theater world has shifted from one finite fad to the next, but it has taken Shakespeare’s ways of working along with it. However,
At the original Globes, the audience would often involve themselves in the scenes. For example, during Hamlet’s well known “To Be or Not To Be” soliloquy, it was often felt that Hamlet was not truly alone because the audience was so interactive with the actors (Covington). It is now proper etiquette in theaters to be as quiet as possible so each person adjacent to you can experience the performance. If crowds in theaters today were to so actively push themselves into scenes, then there would be chaos. The evolvement of audiences becoming more subdued allows actors and actresses to perform more accurately and professionally. This is a prime example of Shakespeare positively affecting theaters today. On a more physical aspect, the way that theaters arrange their audiences has also adapted for today. The rebuilt Globe, finished in 1997, “can seat about 1,500- with 500 on the ground and 1,000 on tiered benches” (Butler). However, back in the early 1600s, people were smaller and it was normal to be tightly packed into theaters. The original Globe could seat 3,000 audience members during its runs. It would be quite unusual in this day in age if complete strangers had to squeeze together onto tiered benches to watch a play. This progression displays that we as a society have become more sensitive about personal space in the theater (as well as other