Walking through the busy London streets the last thing you expect to see around the corner is a 16th century playhouse with a thatched roof and yet that's exactly what you get with the Globe. Although it is not the original Globe Theatre, the feeling and anticipation that is felt once you enter the theatre is the same as it was centuries ago. I felt that by going through the museum prior to sitting it really helped to set the general mood for the evening. I better understood the era during which the play originally showed and therefore could connect more to the original audience members.
Going to the Globe theatre helped me to better understand the time period in which Shakespeare wrote. I have a greater sense of appreciation for the groundlings (and Bryant, haha) who would stand the entire show. These people at the time of the original showings would most likely be illiterate. The show was difficult enough to follow at times even though I had read the play previously so I cannot imagine being an illiterate member of the lower class trying to watch the play. I think that although Shakespeare's themes are universal and many can still apply to today's world, many of the jokes and original language would have been easier to understand at the time that the play was written and originally performed. These things would be more commonplace and would help the audience to connect with the performance in a way that is lost on audiences today. I wish I could go back to see a performance in the original time period and watch how the audience reacted to the show, but seeing as how that is not possible, attending a performance at the Globe theatre today is the next best thing.
-Tish
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2 comments:
Tish, as you said, seeing plays composed by Shakespeare during the time of their production would have been marvelous. Mostly, I think, because they would have been guided by Shakespeare himself. Moreover, I understand that Shakespear would even perform in his own works. Imagine seeing Shakespeare act in his own play. I would rather be illiterate and up close to the stage, so that I could see how expressive and passionate these plays are. It was not merely the literature that Shakespeare composed, but the endless cause-and-requitals of human relationships.
I definitely agree with you Tish, that seeing the play did make it come to life and really exceed anything I had ever pictured in my mind. I enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere that the replicated theatre produced as well. I wondered however, how costly such a replication was and if Shakespeare would have been happy with it, and pleased to see his plays continue on today in the theater he created them for. Eris I was not aware that Shakespeare performed as well in his plays, I found that very interesting and it possibly was the only thing missing from the recreation we experienced. (understandable though)
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