Mrs. Villiesse
ALA 9
22 April 2014
The Globe Theatre
Theatres became very popular at the start of the Elizabethan era. The most well known theatre is the Old Globe Theatre. The Globe came to be a successful and enjoyable business, not only for the owners, but for the viewers; it was a thriving company until its end in 1642. The Globe Theater is an important part of history because it is associated with well known playwright William Shakespeare. The theater was built by the Lord Chamberlain's Men in 1599. They were Shakespeare's playing company. It was a three story open air theater that was capable of holding up to 3,000 spectators. The theater burned down in on June 29, 1613. A new Globe Theater was rebuilt on the same property in 1614 and closed down in 1642 (Mabillard).
In the 16th century, plays started to evolve. These developments lead to the construction of a variety of theatres. Before theatres came to be, plays were performed on traveling stages. The man who first thought of creating a permanent theatre was James Burbage (Hodges 54). As playhouses started to become well-liked more structures began to be built. One of the most famous of the theatres was the Old Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre was built by Peter Smith and his employees in 1597-1598. The theatre could hold thousands of people, all of which were from diverse backgrounds. It was not just used for plays, but for gambling and other events as well. Many people enjoyed going to the theatre in this time period because it was a popular and common gathering place among the people and villages. This playhouse held most of William Shakespeare’s plays. The theatre lasted sixteen years, and was eventually burnt down in 1613, but later rebuilt (Mabillard).
The Old Globe Theatre was located in the suburb of Southwark in London, England. The structure of the building was a round or polygonal shape on both the exterior and interior. It was a massive building that could hold up to