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Fiona Kwong

Dr. Aaron

ENG 403

3 December 2014

My Research on Shakespeares Theaters

For my research paper, I decided on the topic of William Shakespeares theaters.

This topic is of interest to me because we currently do not have all the facts in regards to

each of his playhouses. We do not have detailed records of all the theaters he was

affiliated with and where all his plays were possibly performed at. We can try to replicate

but whether or not the replica is true to the original, we may not know for sure.

To start, I began with Google and the Cal Poly Pomona Library and its

recommended databases. I typed in the keywords shakespeare and theaters as well as

combinations using those words. I found a trove of information and materials but it was

easier to access materials online because they are free and convenient. From Google, I

was lead to many websites that did not seem credible but there were two sites where the

authors or editors listed references at the bottom of the page that were definitely reputable

so I deemed it worthy of my time and for my use. There is one site that I decided to use

as well that didnt have references but the information it contained seemed to collaborate

with the other two sites I found and with what I had gleaned from several books on

Shakespeare. When I looked up the librarys catalog and databases, there were so many

listings that I was overwhelmed and didnt know where to start; it was better that I went

and looked at the books in person. At the library, I went through each aisle that contained
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books on Shakespeare and then I scanned through each title and if one seemed like a

possible candidate, I took it off the shelf, looked through the the table of contents if it

contained enough material for me to use and if it did, I kept it in my pile, if it didnt then

back to the shelf it went.

Since I could only manage a handful of books for readingand because it seemed

as if the library didnt have more books on Shakespeare and his theatersI only came out

with one title that I thought would be enough material for me to use for now. From the

handful that I found, none of them was solely concerned with the theaters but more on the

staging and performance of the plays. It occurred to me then that it would take a long

time to fully research all the theaters that Shakespeare was affiliated with due to the lack

of records availablequite possibly a lifelong journey of researching.

Along the way, I hit many roadblocks, the biggest one being procrastination. The

second roadblock was the amount of material and information I had to sift through

because many of the listings only briefly mentioned theaters that Shakespeare had been

known with but there seemed to be more information on the Globe since it may be the

only one that Shakespeare owned a portion of which makes it stand out from the rest. The

third roadblock was getting all the reading done because each of the books are hundreds

of pages long and being so close to finals week, it was a lot of reading to process, which

also goes back to my first roadblock. And lastly, the fourth roadblock was getting started

with all the information I had in my hands. I didnt feel as if I had enough material to

plan any sort of research but the problem with my topic is that there isnt enough accurate

information but rather too much speculation due to the lack of (accurate) records. Once I
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started organizing my thoughts, the paper began to form but that first and major

roadblock was awfully hard to shake off.

Many of the resources that I used were quite old unless using online databases is

considered a type of new resource then that is the only new one I used. I feel that

Shakespeare has been researched pretty extensively so any new material or information

on him and anything related to him is quite scarce. Many of the resources I found and

used were based off printed works and many of the books available at the library were

quite old. Having online databases makes researching much more easier, faster, and

convenient; I am able to access a variety of sources all at once and be able to narrow

down to the particular topic/subject that I was looking for. The only downside to this

technology is that there is too much information available at once.

There is a total of three websites, one book, and an article that I found interesting.

The first website is the Folger Shakespeare Library (folger.edu). There are many tabs that

lead to different pages but I mainly settled on Shakespeares Theater which gave me a

general overview on the playhouses in London and other nearby cities, the theaters

interior, staging and performance and the type of business arrangements that went on in

the theaters and acting troupes. This site is reputable because the material within is

actually taken from published works by the Folger Library Shakespeare editions.

However, the information gleaned is very general and does not go too in depth on the

subject of Shakespeares theaters. The second website is called Shakespeare Online

(shakespeare-online.com) and this one gives more detailed information ranging from

popular Shakespeare plays to commentaries and analyses. Since my topic is mainly

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concerned with the theaters, I went to the main page for Shakespeares Theatres which listed

links for separate pages that discussed the different theaters, the audience, historical aspect of the

playhouse of the era, people who are associated with Shakespeare, and etc. Some of the sub-

pages are lengthy and some merely a paragraph long but each has a list of references at the

bottom of the article, all written works, but no in-text citations so I am not sure how credible

each article is. Regardless, I found the information quite useful and interesting. The third website

is called PlayShakespeare (playshakespeare.com) which contains much more information than

the previous two. The site offers information on each of Shakespeares plays, reviews on the

plays and performances, a forum, an app for viewing said content, podcasts, study guides, a

library and directory link. There is a wealth of information available on this site but I only

focussed on Elizabethan Theatres which provided a list of the theaters with information on its

history, layout/design, affiliated persons, and other interesting facts. For this sub-page, there are

no references or footnotes so I can not vouch for its credibility but it does mention some facts

that I had read in the written works. Each of these websites provide different perspectives and

valuable information that the other may not have mentioned. Ive found that no one can be

thorough but one can try; and by reading through the information presented in these websites, I

believe that a beginning researcher of Shakespeare will enjoy it as it is a nice foundation to build

upon before dipping into more detailed works.

In the article I found, Shakespeare Imagines a Theater by Stephen Orgel, Orgel points

out the history behind the theaters and what led to the design. He presents different models that

were influences for playhouses in Europe at the time and uses what evidence available to

conclude the reasoning behind the design. He states that the stage is dependent on its scenes and
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vice versa as well as being influenced by the audience. In one of the books I found, This Wide

and Universal Theater: Shakespeare then and Now by David Bevington discusses the theaters

but mostly the staging. Bevington focuses on the historical aspect that lead to the playhouses and

acting troupes to be known as they are. He also points out how each play is set with the audience

in mind and so does the stage and staging.

As my topic does not venture off too far from the truththe history and originsI am

not surprised at what I have found but I do find my findings fascinating because there is so much

richness in each of the theaters origins and history. I think that it is unfortunate that not more

was published during Shakespeares time so that we can be as accurate as possible in portraying

a masterful artist and everything related with the man. What I am surprised is that even in this

modern age, people still read about, are fascinated by, and devote their lives to a person whose

works have outlived the man. Although Shakespeares works are not meant to be read, we are

still captivated by his words and his allowance for individual interpretation of his works.

My next step if I were to write a research paper is to go to a Shakespearean theater and

watch one of the great plays. Also, if possible, to take a field trip and visit all the replica theaters

and watch different acting companies perform their interpretation of Shakespeares works. One

can not have a theater without its players and audience so it would be greatly beneficial to

experience a theater and a play in person to further the research. While my findings mention the

different layouts and designs that each theater brought to each play that was performed on its

stage, reading and being able to see and feel the physical entity are two different experiences that

must be accomplished to gain a truly complete understanding of the subject.

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This activity was interesting and different because I am so used to writing actual research

papers as well as thorough lab reports. It was a refreshing take because I was able to enjoy the

research more than if I had to do research and write a strict and structured paper. It was more

enjoyable because I was able to immerse myself in the material rather than just using the material

and getting a paper done.

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Bibliography

Bevington, David M. This Wide and Universal Theater: Shakespeare in Performance, Then and

Now. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2007. Print.

"Elizabethan Theatres." PlayShakespeare. N.d.,Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <https://

www.playshakespeare.com/study/elizabethan-theatres>.

"London Playhouses and Other Sites." Folger Shakespeare Library. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and

Paul Werstine. Folger Shakespeare Library, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://

www.folger.edu/Content/Discover-Shakespeare/Shakespeares-Theater/London-

Playhouses-and-Other-Sites.cfm>.

Mabilliard, Amanda. "Shakespeare's Theatre - Essential Information on Shakespeare's Globe

Theatre, Blackfriars Theater." Shakespeare-Online. N.p. 20 Aug. 2000. Web. 29 Nov.

2014. <http://www.shakespeare-online.com/theatre/>.

Orgel, Stephen. "Shakespeare Imagines a Theater." Poetics Today 5.3 (1984): 549-61. JSTOR.

Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org.proxy.library.csupomona.edu/stable/1772379>.