England is revered for its level of excellence in the theater, not only in the West End, but at the Old Vic, the RNC, Stratford-Upon-Avon, throughout the Provinces, and in summer theaters like Chichester and Bath. But when the American actor, Sam Wanamaker, blacklisted in the McCarthy era, came to London 50 years ago, he was shocked to find that the Globe Theatre, built in 1599 on the Bankside of the Thames River, original home to Shakespeare's plays, did not exist. After 14 prosperous years, it had burned to the ground during a performance of Henry VIII. The theater was rebuilt with a tiled, rather than its thatched roof. (The thatched roof of today is specially treated with fire retardant, and a sophisticated sprinkler system is in place). However, in the same year (1614), Shakespeare retired to Stratford-upon Avon. In 1642, all London's theatres were closed under the city's Puritan Administration. No longer usable, the Globe was demolished in 1644.
Against all odds, Wanamaker inspired all, raised the funds, and the meticulous work was begun to build an exact replica of that famed playhouse. Although, tragically, he died, as did the architect, before the theater was completed, The Globe stands today as a living tribute to his dream.
And marvelous it is. This outdoor theater, composed of benches without backs on three sides (we highly recommend you rent cushions) a series of boxes above and to the sides of the stage with regular chairs, and a well in front of the stage, where hundreds of people can stand for the price of 1 pound, creates an ambiance that brings the audience not only close to the action, but at one with it. We were fortunate, on a lovely sunny day to have a tour of the facility, eat a light lunch at the cafe, and see a Sunday matinee performance of Julius Caesar.
Co-directed by artistic director Mark Rylance, Master of Play along with co-director Giles Block, Master of Verse, this play, which opened in the summer of 1599, seemed fresh and contemporary, all the while adhering to the text. The actors spoke with clear and comfortable phrasing -- no affectation, here -- making the characters come alive. Paul Shelley was a handsome Julius Caesar. Men played women's roles, with Toby Cockerell, who was awarded a commendation as Best Young Actor (the Ian Charles Award) by the Sunday Times for his performance in the Globe's 1977 season, a delightfully feminine Portia, and Benedict Wong, a strong Calpurnia (and later Popillius Lena). Marcus Brutus was a stalwart Brutus, Richard Bremmer, a very lean Cassius.
Red-haired Mark Lewis Jones carried on in the best tradition of Welsh acting as a splendid Mark Antony. And we must not forget to mention the only American from Columbus, Ohio, Michael Rudko. A graduate of Yale and Juilliard, he acquitted himself well as Casca and later as Messala. Most interesting is how enraptured the audience was throughout the three-hour production; how quiet and how well-behaved the people in the well were throughout the three hour performance, and how cleverly the cast mingled with the crowd in the well, encouraging them to participate when appropriate. The play ended with the whole cast performing a spirited but graceful dance as a curtain call, accompanied by the fine musicians.
Plans are afoot to build a 350-seat indoor theater. In the meantime, attending a performance at the Globe is an exhilarating experience, never to be forgotten.
