James Burbage Research Paper

Elizabethan Theatres The Globe Theatre, a London playhouse, was built in 1598 by James Burbage, with the help of his friends and family. Most of Shakespeare's plays, such as “Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, and Hamlet,” were first played in this theatre (Alchin). It was burned down in 1613, rebuilt in 1614, and destroyed by the Puritans in 1644 (”Globe Theatre”). A cannon that was fired during a performance caused the thatched roof, made up of straw, to catch fire, destroying the theater in less than two hours. It was rebuilt in the same place with the same design, but this time with a tiled roof. This theatre, along with many other theatres was created by one person: James Burbage, along with help of his friends and family. James Burbage, the creator of theatres during the Elizabethan Era in the City of London, changed the way people would watch entertainment forever. …show more content…
He started his career as a joiner, a person who builds the wooden parts of any building. Then, he changed his career to acting. This was a strange choice in the early Elizabethan era because actors were seen as nothing better than people looking for jobs. He soon became the first Englishman to hold a theatrical license (“James Burbage”). He became the head of his acting troupe, called “Leicester’s Men,” then built the very first theatre of the Elizabethan Era with his brother-in-law, John Brayne, called “The Theatre.” He borrowed 1,000 marks, around $625, from his father-in-law, also named John Brayne. The theatre was built on land owned by Gillies Allen in 1576. James Burbage died in 1597 and was buried in the ‘Actor’s Church,’ St. Leonards, located in Shoreditch (“James