Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century
January 13, 2007 - October 8, 2007
In 1599, a company of actors known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men built a public theater on a site outside London. Named the Globe, the theater soon achieved commercial success largely due to the popular appeal of works by its resident playwright, William Shakespeare (1564-1616).
Although it was just one of several similar structures built in England during that time, the Globe has assumed a mythic status because of its strong association with Shakespeare. Scholars, actors, and directors have studied the Globe extensively in an effort to understand the playwright’s life and work more fully. Despite this exhaustive research, however, the exact appearance, size, and shape of the Globe, which was demolished in 1644, remain elusive.
In the nearly four centuries since Shakespeare’s death, his plays have been performed regularly and translated into every major language. Dozens of theaters dedicated to Shakespeare have been built around the world, drawing from diverse architectural sources. Some were designed to evoke the character of true Elizabethan theaters despite the lack of definitive information about those original structures. Others simply reflect the prevailing architectural styles of the eras in which they were constructed.
This exhibition traces Shakespearean theaters from the 16th century to the present. It culminates with a series of proposals commissioned by the National Building Museum for hypothetical, 21st-century Shakespearean theaters. The participating designers were: John Coyne, of Connecticut; H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, of New York; Office of Mobile Design, of California; Rockwell Group, of New York; and Michele Saee Studio, of California. Their projects suggest innovative approaches to the challenge of presenting 400-year-old plays to modern audiences. In doing so, they also offer insights into the complex interrelationships between dramatic performances and the spaces that accommodate them.
Reinventing the Globe in the News
Globetrotting
April 2007
LiveDesign
" …Washington, DC's…city-wide Shakespeare festival [features] theatres, symphonies, ballets, operas, [and] art galleries…all looking back at what the bard has wrought. [The National Building Museum], however, is looking forward."At the Building Museum, the Globe’s the Thing
January 19, 2007
The Washington Post
" …the Building Museum has done well to bring them [the commissioned designs]to us, if for no other reason than they do what Shakespeare's plays — and the Globe — were created for…they open our eyes and our imaginations to new worlds and startling possibilities."All the World’s His Stage: The Globe, Yesterday and Tomorrow
January 15, 2007
The Washington Post
" …Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century…is smart, fresh, and idiosyncratic."Imagining, and Reimagining, the Globe
January 13, 2007
The New York Times
"In whole, this exhibition provides a refreshing and insightful overview of an often overlooked aspect of Shakespeare’s legacy."
Sponsors
Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century is made possible by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Mrs. Emily Malino Scheuer, Jacqueline and Marc Leland, and the Wolfensohn Family Foundation.
Sponsors & Partners
Credits
Exhibition Design:
Curator: Martin Moeller
Assistant Curator: Reed Haslach
Exhibition Designer: MaryJane Valade
Graphic Designer: Nancy Van Meter
Advisory Committee Members:
John F. Andrews, OBE
Barbara Cohen-Stratyne
Nicholas T. Goldsborough
Franklin J. Hildy
Lady Manning
Gail Kern Paster
Barbara C. Romer
