Richard Burbage and Early London Theater

Here are some visual notes to help us peek into the early days of Shakespeare's life and career, as well as that of his colleagues.

Here are the plans for the construction of "The Theater." (Constructed in 1576. It was the second permanent structure theater built in London. The first was The Red Lion, built in 1567.

Oh, and in case you didn't know... theaters weren't just for actors...

 

(Bear Baiting -- behold the works of man.) 

Do you recognize this man???

 

Heplayed the title character Volpone in Ben Jonson's social-comedy classic. 

 

(Here's a portrait of Ben Jonson, master of the Comedy of Humours.)

 

Richard Burbage also starred in plays by John Webster... 

(He's the playwright responsible for the bloody tragedy, The Duchess of Malfi.)

But Brubage is most famous for playing the leading roles in many of the original productions of Shakespeare's tragedies.

He originated the roles of... Hamlet...

Macbeth... 

and King Lear...

There's also the possibility that he appeared in a play by the handsome young man in a gigantic sweater: Christopher Marlowe...

There were other stars of the stage, though none as big as Burbage. (It helps when your father owns the theater!)

Some of the other actors included Will Kempe... renown for playing clownish characters including Falstaff.

And Augustine Phillips, who perhaps saved the Lord Chamberlain's Players from the gallows!

(Is it prejudice to say that all these dead British actors look alike?) PS -- Check out the details of Phillips' will and you'll get a glimpse of how enmeshed his life was with the theater.

Here's Hamlet's advice to actors of the time...

Here's a great 20 minute promotional documentary about the recreation of the Globe Theater: