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The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.0506  Friday, 26 May 2006

From: 		Philip Eagle <phil_eagle@UREACH.COM>
Date: 		Thursday, 25 May 2006 11:34:58 -0400
Subject: 17.0498 A Roof on the Globe?
Comment: 	Re: SHK 17.0498 A Roof on the Globe?

Hi all,

To clarify the nature of the Globe "roof":

It certainly isn't a solid roof of the type that many commenters seem to 
be assuming.  It's a set of semi-transparent gauzy black cloths 
stretched across the centre of the theatre in a segmented circle, with 
large gaps in between the segments - scenic decoration rather than 
structure used only for Titus Andronicus, one of six productions this 
year.  I volunteered on a severely rain-affected performance of Titus 
last night and can reassure Gabriel Egan that it does absolutely nothing 
to keep the groundlings dry.  Indeed, when the wind gusts on a rainy 
evening, it delivers spectacular torrents of accumulated rain from the 
edges.

Likewise, the Globe has never been *exclusively* a reconstruction of 
early modern theatre in playing style, costumes or scenery.  For every 
"original practices" production (many of which have breached "original 
practices" by having mixed-sex casts, and when they don't have had 
mature men rather than adolescent boys play the female roles) there has 
been one with a freely "timeless", modern-dress or fanciful style.

My actual judgement of the effectiveness of this Titus will have to wait 
until I've seen it under better conditions, but many of the 
condemnations on this thread have been well over the top and seemingly 
based on misconceptions about the ethos of the Globe and its past 
productions.

Phil

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