The servants of the Lord Chamberlain ( Men Chamberlain's Men ) - one of the most famous theater troupes of the time of the English Renaissance, which included William Shakespeare and famous actors of the time, performing from 1594 to 1603. The troupe was formed during the reign of Elizabeth I in 1594 Under the patronage of Henry Carey , 1st Lord Handson, who held this post from 1585 to 1596. In 1596, after Henry Carey's death, the post passed to his son George Carey 2nd Lord Hansdon. Initially, the troupe bore the title of "Servant of Lord Hansdon," before the appointment of Henry Carey to the high court post of Lord Kamerger . The troupe had the same name from 1596 to 1597. In 1597, the 2nd Lord Hansdon, like his father, was appointed to the post of Lord Chamberlain. By 1599, a troupe of servants of the Lord Chamberlain had built their own Globus Theater, and over the next 10 years they were one of the leading troupes in London, often performing on the court stage. The main and most demanded actor of the troupe was Richard Burbage , who played Hamlet , Richard III , Lear , Henry V , Othello , Romeo , Macbeth , while Shakespeare , who was a shareholder and playwright of the troupe until the end of his career, played secondary roles. In 1603, the troupe received a royal patent from King Jacob I , and along with the patent, it also acquired the new name " servants of the king ." Nine members of the troupe, including Shakespeare, were honored with participation in the coronation procession. From the moment of obtaining the royal patent, a new stage in the life of the troupe begins.
Performance Houses
At the beginning of its activity, the troupe played on the stage of the Newington Butts Theater. The theater was far from London, so the actors began to seek to be allowed to play in the city itself until they found a suitable room. In this they were helped by the Lord Chamberlain, who agreed with the Lord Mayor of London that the actors were allowed to temporarily perform in the courtyard of the Cros Keys Hotel. [one]
In 1595, the troupe rented the Theater building, built by Richard Burbage's father, James Burbage. [2] After its closure in 1597, the troupe moved to the Kurtina Theater, but not for long. Their negotiations regarding the lease with Giles Allen, the owner of the theater, are at an impasse. The troupe was looking for a way out of this situation, and it was found. Having carefully studied the existing contract, the troupe discovered that the owner owned the land, but not the theater itself, therefore the theater can be disassembled and moved to a new place. At the end of December 1598, the Burbage brothers, Cuthbert and Richard, together with their mother, twelve workers, a surveyor and carpenter Peter Street [3] , dismantled old logs, artistic latrines, beams, galleries in four days — they all were removed and transported to the other side river, ferry and London Bridge.
Finding the disappearance of the theater, Giles Allen sued the Burbage family in the hope of receiving compensation for the damage in the amount of eight hundred pounds. The trial went on for two years, after which the Burbage family was acquitted as they acted strictly within the law.
The new theater with all its accessories was placed on the south bank of the river and was called the Globe . [3] Both buildings, the Kurtina Theater and the Globus Theater were wooden with a traditional form of construction: oval outlines, lack of a roof. You may notice an obvious resemblance to the shape of the Roman amphitheater. The construction of the theater was completed in 1599.
The theater accommodated approximately 1200-3000 people and the audience was offered different conditions: portable stools on the sides of the stage for the richest and most notable; on the inside of the stage, in the boxes was an aristocracy; gallery for wealthy citizens; in the stalls, on the earthen floor, poor theater-goers stood.
At the end of 1608, the troupe acquired the theater in the closed premises of the former Blackfriars monastery "And began to use it as a winter playground, and in the Globe to work in the summer. [1] The conditions in the theater of this type were different than in the Globe and other similar premises. The Blackfriars had less room for the public, admission was higher, and the audience mostly belonged to more affluent and more educated sections of the population. [2] A good premise in combination with royal patronage allowed Shakespeare to introduce more complex devices into the props of his plays. For example, in Zymbelin , Jupiter comes down with thunder and lightning, sitting on an eagle: He throws lightning. Ghosts fall to their knees. [4] In 1613, the play “ Henry VIII ” was staged during the performance, the gun misfired, set fire to the roof of the building and the whole theater burned down. A year later, the theater was rebuilt and continued its work until 1642.
The modern reconstruction of the Globe Theater, now fully referred to as the Shakespeare Globe Theater, was completed in 1997 near the location of the original theater.
Troupe members
The "servants of the Lord Chamberlain" were a partnership on shares. The leading role in the troupe belonged to the actors who contributed, which was used for all necessary expenses: hiring premises for performances, preparing props, paying for plays, etc. The income received from the performances was shared by the shareholder actors. [1] At the very beginning, there were eight such actors.
Such a device of the troupe originates from the time of the construction of the Globus Theater. The construction of the theater did not go very fast, for this reason the Burbage brothers decided to attract new partners, shareholders who, in exchange for sharing expenses, became co-owners of the new theater. One of the shareholders was William Shakespeare , he now owned a tenth of the theater. His companions were the leading actors of the Lord Chamberlain troupe: William Kemp and Thomas Pope , John Hemings and Augustine Phillips . Subsequently, this company turned them into rather wealthy people.
The second group consisted of hired actors who performed secondary roles. This part of the troupe was quite fluid, and if a skilled actor came across, he was invited to join the number of shareholders.
The third group of actors consisted of male actors who performed female roles and underwent special training. They were initially in the position of students, and the most capable eventually turned into the category of adult shareholders.
The chamberlain of the Lord Chamberlain's servants included actors Richard Burbage , William Kemp, John Hemings, Henry Condell , Augustine Phillips, Christopher Beeston , William Sly , Richard Cowley , George Bryan , John Dux, from 1594 William Shakespeare.
The main success for the troupe comes with the Burbage family. James Burbage was an impresario, he assembled the troupe and directed its activities until his death in 1597, his sons Richard and Cuthbert also stood in the corpse. Cuthbert was not an actor, but Richard Burbage was the main star of the troupe. The Burbage brothers helped the troupe become the central link in the development of London's professional theater during the Renaissance.
The second decoration of the troupe was comedian William Kemp. He was considered the successor to Richard Tarleton , a comedian from the troupe of "the servants of Her Majesty the Queen." Initially a member of the Lord Strange Servants troupe, in 1594, after the troupe was dissolved, Kemp, along with Richard Burbage and Shakespeare, became part of the Lord Chamberlain's servants. He played Pietro in Romeo and Juliet , Dogwood in Much Ado About Nothing , and the Jester in King Lear . In 1599 he left the troupe and sold his share, the reason for this act is still unknown. His place was taken by Robert Armin , a more subtle actor in the role of a comedian. In addition to acting, he was also known for his 1600 release “The Fool About the Fool” book. As a rule, Armin is credited with such roles as Dogwood “ Much Ado About Nothing, ” Oselka “ How You Like It, ” Feste “ Twelfth Night ” and the Jester of “ King Lear ”.
George Bryan and Thomas Pope, who had originally played in the Servants of Lord Strange, as well as Kemp, joined the troupe of The Servants of the Lord Chamberlain in the 1580s, and were members of the troupe until about 1597 or 1598 and 1603. Augustine Phillips also came from the Strange troupe. He remained with the troupe of the “Servant of the Lord Chamberlain” until his death in 1605. [five]
The two young actors, Henry Condel and John Hemings, are best known for their contributions to the compilation and editing of Shakespeare's first collection of plays in 1623. Both were relatively young in 1594, and both remained with the company only until the death of King James I.
With the advent of Shakespeare, the troupe acquired its permanent playwright. [1] An interesting fresh repertoire ensured the troupe quickly gained popularity and love of the public. The last three plays of Shakespeare were written in collaboration with John Fletcher , who later replaced Shakespeare as the main playwright of the troupe.
Lawrence Fletcher He led the Scottish troupe of actors, which was patronized by James VI of Scotland, the future James I. When Jacob ascended the English throne, Fletcher followed his monarch south and, faithfully, entered the new troupe - “ Servants of the King ”. [3] Fletcher was best known as His Majesty's Comedian. It was first mentioned among the actors of the Globe in the king’s patent.
Some historians suggest that the company retained its original structure of eight shareholders, and that if one of the shareholders retired or in case of death, someone else always took his place. So, Brian was replaced by William Sly (1597); Kemp was replaced by Robert Armin (1599); Pope was replaced by Condell (1600). But this assumption did not find enough evidence.
Among the hired actors who subsequently transferred to the shareholders were: William Sly, who has been a hired actor since 1594 and who became shareholders and co-owner of the Globe Theater in about 1605. From the surviving lists of submissions, it is known that Sly played in Ben Johnsan ’s plays “ Everyone in His Mind "In 1598," Everyone outside his disposition ”In 1599 and“ Seean ”in 1603. Perhaps Sly played the role of Ozrik in“ Hamlet ”. Richard Cowley, Nicholas Tolei , John Sitzer , John Duke four more examples of hired actors who subsequently became shareholders.
Repertoire and Performances
Shakespeare's plays undoubtedly founded the troupe's main repertoire. On Christmas Day 1594, at the Grace Inn Law School, the Lord Chamberlain's troupe played The Comedy of Mistakes . The two previous evenings of the Lord Chamberlain's servants also played at court. [5] William Shakespeare was first mentioned in calculations with the troupe. This allows us to believe that around this time Shakespeare began his theatrical career.
In the first year of Shakespeare's presence in the troupe, The Servants of the Lord Chamberlain play two recently published plays by Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew and Titus Andronic . The same story will happen a little later with the second and third parts of Henry VI . One of the very first plays specially written for the troupe was possibly the play A Midsummer Night's Dream . In 1595, Shakespeare's historical drama Richard II was first staged.
The repertoire of the Troupe based not on Shakespeare is little known. Such productions are possible: “Lokrin” - the tragedy of an unknown author, in the 17th century. it was believed that the author of "Lokrina" is Shakespeare; [6] “The Restless Reign of John, King of England” is also a play by an unknown author, used by Shakespeare as a source for “King John”; [6] Play by Marlo C. Edward II.
The troupe quickly gained popularity, at the beginning of 1595 the troupe gave four performances, six the following year and four in 1597.
In the last years of the century, the troupe continued to stage new Shakespeare plays: Julius Caesar and Henry V , which were possibly plays at the opening of the Globus Theater [7] , and also Hamlet , first staged at the Curtin Theater. Among non-Shakespearean productions in these years, one can say with confidence that such plays as: “A Warning for Fair Women”, “Thomas, Lord Cromwell” were staged. But the first well-known non-Shakespearean play was Ben Johnsan's “Everyone in His Mind, ” written in mid-1598; over the next year, the troupe began preparing a play of the thematic continuation of "Everyone in His Mind."
In 1597, the plays Richard III , Richard II , and Romeo and Juliet were released. The first edition of these plays was published without mentioning that the author of the plays was Shakespeare, but already in the next 1598, “ Richard III ” and “ Richard II ” were reissued, and the name Shakespeare was indicated on the title page. His Shakespeare also stood on the editions of The Fruitless Efforts of Love , the first part of Henry VI , and in 1600, with the name of Shakespeare, the second part of Henry VI , A Midsummer Night's Dream , The Merchant of Venice and Much ado about nothing . ”
In 1603, the troupe received the royal patent of Jacob I and on December 2 for the first time performed before their new patron [3] at the Earl of Pembroke estate near Salisbury in Wiltshire.
Before the death of Elizabeth I. in 1603, the Lord Chamberlain troupe gave 32 court performances. [five]
Essex February Adventure
The "servants of the Lord Chamberlain" to a large extent avoided participating in various kinds of scandals in which other troupes and actors were sometimes involved. In addition to one of the most serious - the February adventure of Essex. On February 8, 1601, Count Essexspred made an attempt at a coup. The "servants of the Lord Chamberlain" were only indirectly involved in this incident. One of the conspirators, Sir Jelly Merick, seduced them for an extra reward of 40 shillings, in excess of their “usual fee”, forgetting caution, playing the outdated play “ Richard II ” the day before the coup, which depicted the overthrow and assassination of the king. [8] He wanted to see and show how his master would soon transfer the tragedy from the stage to the public arena. But the rebellion failed. Most of those involved were sentenced to death. However, on the eve of the execution of Essex on February 24, the "servants of the Lord Chamberlain" entertained the queen with a performance at court, from this we can conclude that they did not suffer at all.
Jacob I and The Servants of the King
In 1603, Jacob I inherited the throne from Elizabeth I. The new king brought many changes, including changes in the theater. With the coming to power of James I, all theaters came under his personal control, and no one except the members of the royal family had the right to protect the theaters. Accordingly, all the troupes were renamed: they became "servants of His Majesty the King", "servants of Her Majesty the Queen", "servants of His Highness the Crown Prince". [9] The Shakespeare Troupe was given the highest honor; Jacob I took the troupe under his personal protection. From this moment the name of the troupe changes, henceforth it was called “ Servants of the King ”, and a new stage in her life begins.
The royal patent granted to the actors read:
“It is allowed for our servants Lawrence Fletcher, William Shakespeare, Richard Burbage, Augustine Philipps, John Heming, Henry Condel, William Sly, Robert Armin, Richard Cowley and their other comrades to freely show their art and ability to play comedies, tragedies, chronicle, , pastors and other plays, both those that they have already performed, and those that will be staged in the future for the entertainment of our beloved subjects, as well as for our pleasure, if we deign to see their performances. ” [9]
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Anikst A. Shakespeare . M .: Mol. Guard, 1964. - (ZhZL)
- ↑ 1 2 Anikst A. The Shakespeare Theater . M.: Bustard, 2006.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Ackroyd P. Shakespeare. Biography M .: CoLibri, 2009.
- ↑ Bychkov M.N. William Shakespeare. Passionate Pilgrim . M .: Goslitizdat, 1949.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Shaitanov I. Shakespeare . M .: The Young Guard , 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 Bychkov M. Shakespearean Encyclopedia . M .: Rainbow, 2002.
- ↑ Shapiro J. 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare . London: Faber and Faber, 2005.
- ↑ Shenbaum S. Shakespeare. Brief documentary biography . M .: Progress, 1985.
- ↑ 1 2 Anikst A. Shakespeare's work . M .: Goslitizdat, 1963.
Bibliography
- Anikst A.A. Shakespeare Theater. M .: Art , 1965 . - 328 p. 2nd ed. : M., Bustard Publishing House , 2006 . - 287 p.
- Anikst A. Shakespeare. M .: Mol. guard , 1964 . - 367 p. (The life of wonderful people )
- Anikst A. Shakespeare's work. M .: Goslitizdat , 1963 . - 615 s.
- Ackroyd P. Shakespeare. Biography. M .: CoLibri , 2009 . - 304 p.
- Bychkov M. Shakespearean Encyclopedia. M .: Rainbow, 2002 . - 270 p.
- 'Muller V. Drama and theater of the Shakespeare era. L .: Academia , 1925.— 170s
- Shaitanov I. Shakespeare. M .: Mol. guard , 2013 . - 480 p.
- Shenbaum S. Shakespeare. Brief documentary biography. M .: Progress, 1985 . - 432 s.
- Adams, JQ Shakespearean Playhouses: A History of English Playhouses from the Beginnings to the Restoration. Boston, Mass .: Houghton-Mifflin, 1917.
- Baldwin, TW The Organization and Personnel of Shakespeare's Company. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1927.
- Shapiro J. 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare. - London: Faber and Faber, 2005.