History of Theater: Elizabethan/Renaissance

Even if William Shakespeare's towering genius had never existed, the Elizabethan era would still be considered one of the high points in the history of world theater. The period witnessed prfound advances and refinements in the arts of acting, playwriting, production, and stagecraft.

The original Globe Theater, which once stood along the banks of the Thames river in London, was the most popular playhouse in Elizabethan England. The Globe staged plays by the greatest playwright of his day, William Shakespeare, had its life cut short by fire, and, in the twentieth century rose again to entertain thousands of visitors.