Staging Shakespeare At The New Globe

What have we learned from the first experiments at the reconstructed Globe on Bankside? Written by the Shakespearean appointed to study the actor's use of the space, the book is the first analytical account of the discoveries that have been made about its important first years of use. Pauline Kiernan relates her findings to what we know of original staging practices in Shakespeare's time to show how actors, directors, and playgoers have responded to the demands of "historical" constraints—and unexpected freedoms—to offer valuable insights into the dynamics of Elizabethan theatre.

What have we learned from the first experiments at the reconstructed Globe on Bankside? Written by the Shakespearean appointed to study the actor's use of the space, the book is the first analytical account of the discoveries that have been made about its important first years of use. Pauline Kiernan relates her findings to what we know of original staging practices in Shakespeare's time to show how actors, directors, and playgoers have responded to the demands of "historical" constraints--and unexpected freedoms--to offer valuable insights into the dynamics of Elizabethan theatre.

Booknews

Playwright and scholar Kiernan was called down from Oxford to study actor use of Shakespeare's theater as recently reconstructed. She discusses the physical conditions of the space, how the relationship between actor and audience sharing the same continuous light has transformed the role played by audiences, and reappraises the workings of dramatic illusion. Then she chronicles day-by-day the preparation and performance of the first full-scale production to follow authentic staging practices, and interviews with actors and directors involved in it. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Pauline Kiernan is Leverhulme Research Fellow to study Shakespeare in Performance at Shakespeare's Globe, Bankside.