Welcome to Elizabethan England It s time to

Welcome to Elizabethan England.

It’s time to don your doublet!

Tighten your trussing!

Get on your galligaskins!

Girls, put on your farthingales!

Smooth your stomachers!

Remember your ruffs!

Slip on your shoes! And grab your gloves!

Gentlemen? Ladies?

Is everybody ready? We’re going to theater!

William Shakespeare l l l Lived 1564 -1616. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway (she was eight years older). They had three children, a girl named Susanna (his favorite; married a doctor), and twins named Hamnet (died when he was 11) and Judith (married a man who was in church court for getting another woman pregnant). Joined the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later the King’s Men), which became the most important theater company in London.

William Shakespeare Acted in productions with LCM and wrote play in the 1590 s. Mixed reviews – “contemptuous as an upstart cow” and the best tragic and comic playwright in England. Successful – had the second largest house in Stratford.

William Shakespeare Made money from theatre companies profits and investments. l Seven years after his death the First Folio, a collected edition of his plays, was printed by two of his colleagues. l

What do we know about Shakespeare? He has had an amazing influence on our English language.

Have you heard these phrases? l. I couldn’t sleep a wink. l He was dead as a doornail. l She’s a tower of strength. l They hoodwinked us. l I’m green-eyed with jealousy. l We’d better lie low for awhile. l Keep a civil tongue in your head.

They are just some of the many expressions coined by that master of language, William Shakespeare.

The Globe Theatre l Many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed in the now famous Globe Theatre in London, England. l The Lord Chamberlain’s Men managed theatre for years…especially one guy in particular named Burbage.

The (Globe) Theatre First, the civil authorities were NOT the biggest fans of theatre. Back in the day, depending on who was in charge, theatre was sometimes outlawed (those mischievous thespians!) l Originally, the Theatre (that was the actual name…clever, eh? ) was built just outside the northern London city limits. l One actor, Burbage, managed the place and rented it from Giles Allen. Aside from paying rent, then made profits from their performances. l Here’s the funny part… l

The (Globe) Theatre l So, in December of 1598, Burbage gets into it with Allen. Burbage has been bringing in the money for years and feels like he has bought his portion of Theatre. Allen says his lease is up…too bad…get out.

The (Globe) Theatre l l l Okay, here’s the best part. Burbage, some other actors, and some friends wait until Allen is busy and distracted with Christmas stuff on December 28 th. The sneak over to the Theatre and dismantle the place beam by beam. They put the pieces in storage, waited for nice spring weather (1599), shipped the pieces across the Thames river, and built the Globe. Take that, Giles Allen! Granted, they had to build it in a rough part of town, but they got their theatre back.

The (Globe) Theatre l l l Destroyed by fire in 1613. Rebuilt in 1614. Closed in 1642 by the Puritans. Torn down around 1644. The one you can see today was built in 1997.

Now, let the show begin!

This Is NOT "Family Entertainment. "

HERE’S A PREVIEW…

Shakespeare’s Bloodiest Play When we first hear of Macbeth, he has just cut an enemy open ("unseamed") from belly button ("nave") to throat ("chops"). The king shouts "Oh valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!"

Shakespeare’s Bloodiest Play l At a party, a witch shows her friends the chopped-off thumb of a ship's pilot wrecked on his way home. l Lady Macbeth prays aloud to devils to possess her mind, turn the milk in her breasts into bile (!), and give her a man's ability to do evil.

Shakespeare’s Bloodiest Play l Lady Macbeth gripes at her husband ridicules his masculinity in order to make him commit murder. She talks about a smiling baby she once nursed and what it would have been like to beat it to death -she would prefer this to having a husband who is unwilling to kill in cold blood. Think about exactly what Lady Macbeth is saying.

Shakespeare’s Bloodiest Play The Macbeths murder a sleeping man in cold blood, then launder his bloody clothes, smear blood on someone else, then slaughter them to complete the frame-up. l Horses go insane and devour each others' meat while they are still alive. l Among the ingredients of a witches' brew are cut -off human lips and a baby's finger. It's not just any baby -- it was a child delivered by a prostitute in a ditch, which she strangled right afterwards. l

Shakespeare’s Bloodiest Play To show Macbeth his future, the witches add to the brew "grease that's sweated from the murderer's gibbet. " Curious what that is? l The bodies of murderers were left hanging on the gallows (gibbet) until they were skeletonized, which takes weeks. At about ten days in suitable weather, there are enough weak points in the skin that the body fat, which has liquified, can start dripping through. There will be a puddle of oil underneath the body. This is for real. l

Double Bubble, Toil and Trouble…

Superstitions of Actors NEVER: l Whistle backstage l Say “Good luck!" to one another (hence “Break a leg!” l Speak the last line of the play (the "tag") in rehearsal l Peek through the curtain to see the audience l Leave hats on dressing room beds or shoes on the floor.

A Cursed Play? People refer to the play as "that play, ” “the unmentionable, " or "the Scottish play. " It is supposed to be bad luck to quote from the play or to use any sets, costumes, or props from a production. The evil reputation traces back to a long line of disasters back to its premier on August 7, 1606.

The superstition follows that any company performing the play will be beset with horrible luck, ranging anywhere from uncanny accidents on the set to actual deaths within the company! In fact, in many parts, it is not only the production of the play that will strike fear, but quoting from the play or even the mere mention of the name Mac. Beth inside a theatre, be it the stage, the house, the lobby, or especially the dressing rooms will lose a person aquainted with the stage nearly all his or her theatrical friends. The Origin: There are many origins for this superstition. Old actors believe the witches' song in Mac. Beth to possess the uncanny power of casting evil spells.

The Curse of Macbeth An actor playing Macbeth in 1672 was said to have murdered the actor playing Duncan offstage, using his stage dagger. l One of the worst disasters occurred in America in 1849, when a long-standing feud between the actors William Charles Macready and Edwin Forrest resulted in a riot outside the Astor Theater, where fans of Forrest protested an appearance of Macready in the role of Macbeth. The crowd swelled to 20, 000, forcing the militia to fire, killing 23 people. l

The Curse of Macbeth l The boy actor playing Lady Macbeth died back stage on opening night. l In 1934, four actors played Macbeth in a single week. l In 1937, Macbeth had to be postponed for three days after a change in directors and because of the death of Lilian Baylis. l In 1954, the portrait of Lilian Baylis crashed down on the bar on opening night.

The Curse of Macbeth In 1937, when Laurence Olivier took on the role of Macbeth, a 25 pound stage weight crashed within an inch of him, and his sword which broke onstage flew into the audience and hit a man who suffered a heart attack. l In the 1942 Macbeth production headed by John Gielgud, three actors -- Duncan and two witches -- died, and the costume and set designer committed suicide amidst his devilish Macbeth creations. l

The Curse of Macbeth l In one production of Macbeth, nothing went wrong until the fight scene between Macbeth and Macduff. Both actors had round "Celticstyle" shields strapped to their forearms of their left arms. The fight was very physical. The actor playing Macbeth made a violent move with his left arm and the shield left his arm and flew like a Frisbee for twenty feet across the stage. The actor playing Macduff ducked instinctively and the shield hit the ground about sixteen inches from the front of the stage.

The Curse of Macbeth l The superstition is not so much about doing the play as about naming it. You are not supposed to mention the title in a theatre. l The most interesting theory is that the play contains the devil in the form of the porter.

What can I do about the Curse? The most common remedy to get rid of the curse is that the offender must step outside, turn around three times, spit, and say the foulest word he/she can think of, and then ask for permission to re-enter theatre.

The Supernatural Many Elizabethans believed in the supernatural and superstitions. l Most people believed that ghosts were real and that spirits were unable to rest in their graves until they had returned to earth to complete acts that they had not finished. l

The Supernatural l Do we still believe in the supernatural today? How about superstitions? Ghosts? Psychics? Healers? l Do you have any experiences with something you believe to be supernatural?

What do you think? Are curses real?