LIHSA- Theater History

Shakespeare in Love (1998) directed by John Madden, written by Marc Norman

and playwright Tom Stoppard.
The film depicts an imaginary love affair involving Viola de Lesseps and William
Shakespeare and the fictional account of the playwrights writing of Romeo and
Juliet. Several characters are based on historical figures, and many of the
characters, lines, and plot devices allude to Shakespeare's plays.
Here are SOME of the non-fictional characters in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.
William Shakespeare- An English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded by
many as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent
dramatist. He is often called England's national poet, and the "Bard of Avon". His
extant works, including collaborations, consist of approximately 38 plays, 154
sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain
authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are
performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Philip Henslowe - most important English theatre proprietor and manager of the
Elizabethan Age. In 1587 Henslowe and a partner built the Rose Theatre on the
Bankside near Southwark Bridge. Various companies acted there from 1592 to
1603.Henslowe had an interest in the suburban Newington Butts Theatre in 1594
and, later, in the Swan Theatre in the Paris Garden at the western end of the
Bankside.. In 1613 Henslowe built a new theatre, the Hope, designed for plays as
well as bearbaiting, on this site. The most sumptuous of Henslowes theatres was
the Fortune, built just north of London for the Admirals Men in 1600. Henslowes
theatres gave the first productions of many important Elizabethan dramas; he was
associated in one way or another with most of the famous playwrights for a quarter
of a century, and his Admirals Men were the chief rivals of the Chamberlains Men,
Shakespeares company.
Edward (Ned) Alleyn - Considered one of the greatest actors of Shakespeare's time.
Alleyn joined the Admiral's Men and promptly ascended to the role of principal actor.
He gained the respect and admiration of some of the most influential people of the
day by playing the title roles in popular dramas such as Tamburlaine, Doctor
Faustus, and The Jew of Malta, written by Christopher Marlowe, and in Orlando
Furioso by Robert Greene. Noblemen, fellow actors, poets, and playwrights paid
tribute to Alleyn's dramatic flair.
Elizabeth I of England - was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558
until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess,
the childless Elizabeth was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The Queen
devoted herself to the study of the ancient classical period; she also delighted in our
own theatrical entertainments, and used her influence in the progress of the English
drama, and fostered the inimitable genius of Shakespeare.

Edmund Tilney -Best known now as Master of the Revels to Queen Elizabeth and
King James. He was responsible for the censorship of drama in England. He was also
instrumental in the development of English drama of the Elizabethan period. Tilney
made the office of Master of the Revels into an institution.
Richard Burbage - Burbage was a business associate and friend to William
Shakespeare. He was the star of William Shakespeare's theatre company, the Lord
Chamberlain's Men which became the King's Men on the ascension of James I in
1603. He played the title role in the first performances of many of Shakespeare's
plays, including Hamlet, Othello, Richard III, and King Lear. But he was in great
demand and also appeared in the plays of many of the great contemporary writers,
such as Ben Jonson (the title role in Volpone, and Subtle in The Alchemist), John
Marston (The Malcontent), John Webster (The Duchess of Malf) and Beaumont and
Fletcher (The Maid's Tragedy).
Will Kempe was one of the most beloved clowns in the Elizabethan theatre. Kempe
joined the Chamberlain's Men in 1594 and acted in many of Shakespeare's plays. He
was the original portrayer of Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Peter in Romeo
and Juliet, and possibly Falstaff. He also likely played Lancelot Gobbo in The
Merchant of Venice and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
John Webster - His plays written during Elizabethan and Jacobean eras would
introduce a new grittiness to the English stage. He was a playwright unafraid to
grapple with the darker sides of mankind: whether in The White Devil (1612) or
The Duchess of Malf (1614), Webster was willing to deal out gruesome ends to
his characters.
Christopher 'Kit' Marlowe - as poet and playwright was at the forefront of the 16th
Century dramatic renaissance, a man to whom Shakespeare and others owe a huge
debt of gratitude. He also led a full and intriguing life outside the theatre. Entangled
in the outer reaches of the Elizabethan espionage web, Marlowe's life is alleged to
have ended prematurely in 1593 when, at just 29, he was reportedly stabbed to
death in Deptford.
Admirals Men -was a playing company or troupe of actors in the Elizabethan and
Stuart eras. It is generally considered the second most important acting troupe of
English Renaissance theatre (after the company of Shakespeare, the Lord
Chamberlain's or King's Men).
Lord Chamberlains Men - Also called Chamberlains Men, Kings Men, a theatrical
company with which Shakespeare was intimately connected for most of his
professional career as a dramatist. It was the most important company of players in
Elizabethan and Jacobean England.