Life As A 16 Century English Actor
Lexie Starnes
Spanish Theatre
- Since the Islamic faith disapproved theater, the productions were only able to develop in Christian portions of Spain.
- Starting in 1550, troupes were being paid to perform in Spain. They usually preformed fro Corpus Christi festivals.
- Lope Felix de Vega Carpio was a popular playwright and socialite. He was the first person in Spain to make a living as a playwright. He wrote over 800 plays.
- The Spanish government wanted to regulate troupes and theaters so they implemented restrictions. Spanish acting companies were reduced.
- Actors were responsible for their own costumes and they usually wore contemporary clothing.
- The performance spaces were constructed in a corral form. There was a large patio but also bleachers and balconies.
American Theater
- In 1510, friars wrote autos in the native language and incorporated native elements with new aspects of theater. They did this to Christianize the Americas.
- In 1574 the first Spanish language play was written by a native. Also during this year, the appearance of the first professional actor was seen.
- In 1597, the first of many corrale theaters was built in Mexico City.
- The Americas had such a mix of culture elements that it was hard to distinguish native from new aspects of theater.
French Theatre
- Before Francis I came into power, plays were only studied for academic purposes.
- A group of seven French poets came together and created the Pleiade. This group created new grammatical rules and invented new words.
- Productions were commonly held in court and educational institutions. This was because the Confrerie de la Passion had a monopoly over all productions in Paris.
- Pierre de Larivey changed the topics of theater. He included French ideals and Italian comedey.
John Drew
Drew was a popular American professional actor.
Corral
An example of a Spanish corral.
French
An example of a French costume.