In requiring artificial light, the early modern indoor theatre had to interrupt the action so that the candles could be attended to, if necessary. The origin of the five-act, four-interval play was not classical drama but candle technology. This Element explores the implications of this aspect of playmaking. Drawing on evidence in surviving texts it explores how the interval affected composition and stagecraft, how it provided opportunities for stage-sitters, and how amphitheatre plays were converted for indoor performance (and vice versa). Recovering the interval yields new insights into familiar texts and brings into the foreground interesting examples of how the interval functioned in lesser-known plays. This Element concludes with a discussion of how this aspect of theatre might feed into the debate over the King's Men's repertory management in its Globe-Blackfriars years and sets out the wider implications for both the modern theatre and the academy.
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1. Introduction; 2. Candles and Questions; 3. Scripting the Act-Time; 4. Amphitheatre Hall; 5. The Globe Blackfriars Effect; 6. Coda; 7. Appendix; Reference.
Candle technology created the interval, which playmakers and playgoers exploited, transforming composition, stagecraft, and performance.

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781108791922
Publisert
2024-04-25
Utgiver
Vendor
Cambridge University Press
Aldersnivå
UP, 05
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
114

Forfatter