| The Shakespeare Memorial Festival, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Shakespeare's Globe all have shared the unique characteristic of being located in places of significance to the life of William Shakespeare. The Memorial Festival was established in 1879 at Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon, and its successor, the RSC, founded in 1960, is likewise based in the town. The new Globe, an attempted replica of the 1599 Globe, opened officially in 1997 and is located in London Southwark, the neighborhood where the original Globe Theatre stood. Of the hundreds of theatre companies around the world dedicated to Shakespeare's works, only these institutions derived their identities and missions partly from their connections to historically authentic locations.; The Memorial Festival prospered largely due to its tie to Stratford. The RSC and Shakespeare's Globe have also benefited greatly from their connections to their locations. Nonetheless, they have faced artistic and cultural challenges as they have attempted to define their relationships to their significant sites.; Both locations, Stratford and Southwark, have been the objects of veneration for many theatre enthusiasts. Tourists---or pilgrims---have traveled long distances to experience Shakespeare's birthplace and burial place (his tomb is also located in Stratford, in Holy Trinity Church), as well as his workplace on the south bank of the Thames in London. Despite this deep veneration, both locations have at various times in their histories been dismissed by critics as unsuitable places for performance. These widely varying attitudes forced the theatre companies to appropriate or reject the notions of authenticity and legitimacy that came with their sites. The companies separate choices on such issues have influenced and, in some cases, dictated, the designs of the theatre buildings in which they have performed.; This dissertation traces the histories of the relationships of the Shakespeare Memorial Festival, the RSC, and Shakespeare's Globe to their respective locations and architectural spaces. In addition, I explore the current relationship between the RSC and the new Globe. Their separate reactions to their significant locations and spaces present competing methods and philosophies concerning theatrical production, and notions of authenticity and heritage. |
