Masters of the Stage

In 2001, Michael Lupu, senior dramaturg for the Guthrie Theatre, provided directors at the "Directing Shakespeare Symposium" with a brief lesson he called "Shakespeare 101." In this twenty-minute discussion Lupu talks about audience expectations in the Elizabethan period, the history of Shakespeare's company "Lord Chamberlain's Men," and how the shifting of Shakespeare's theatre midway through his career may have affected his writing. Lupu enlists the help of designer Ming Cho Lee to explain the type of theatre in which Shakespeare was working, and how the intimate, single-room performance space of the Globe Theatre shaped almost every moment in Shakespeare's work. Other topics discussed include: Shakespeare's plays coming from the stage to the page and not vice versa, A Winter's Tale being published after Shakespeare's death, and the place of a poet in the theatre. This brief but incredibly thorough overview is a great recap for Shakespeare fans and a perfect introduction for those just getting started.