A photo from open sources
In the last two decades, the profession of an actor has become less popular, today, for example, in Russia there is no such fantastic hype when entering the theater schools, as it was during times of the USSR. However, many boys and girls continue to dream about the theater, and especially about the movie, wanting to become famous in this hypostases, at least throughout the country.
Modern theater and film actors are respected people, and celebrities, especially in the USA and Western Europe, – without fail millionaires, the fame of them and their roles played for decades, and then more. But in the time of Shakespeare, and much later, theater actors were not even buried on a common graveyard, since believed that these people serve the devil and therefore are not worthy to lie in land with other citizens.
A photo from open sources
But that is not all. In the theater itself, say, in the XVI – XVII centuries, the actresses were not recognized, so female roles had to be played to men. It may seem to us that this did not quite staging believable. But not so simple. The fact is that female roles played certainly very pretty young men or boys. Moreover, in theater troupes of these unfortunate at that time no one even invited, they just kidnapped – right on the street.
For example, as historians of Oxford found out, during the reign Elizabeth I, who was a big fan of the theater, in England even the profession of boy catchers for the theater appeared. Such “professional workers” roamed the same London and sought out the most promising boys. And woe to that child who was built and handsome, meet these theatrical bandits. And after all there was no government on them, since Elizabeth I issued a decree that allowed “for the sake of art” to steal children, taking them away from families. Moreover – flog mercilessly those who did not show due in theatrical activity zeal. That is, stolen children almost became juvenile slaves of the owners of theatrical troupes.
A photo from open sources
Young actors – slaves of theaters in England
Historians even found a documented case where in 1600 thirteen-year-old Londoner Thomas Clifton, very cute small, caught, shouldered and carried away. His heartbroken parents, wherever they turned, even in court and with petition to the queen herself – all to no avail. The answer was one: their son must study diligently and be obedient, otherwise he will be merciless carved. In those days, the owners of London theaters even boasted in front of each other who is bigger and better live goods from boys “gathered on the street.” And they were allowed to steal not only common child, but also a boy from a noble family.
Formally in England it was believed that such stolen children are in the service in the Royal chapel, in fact, they played in ordinary theaters. The Queen was well aware of this, but not only not intervened, and even encouraged this practice. Historians have found the great caustic remarks of the great Shakespeare about productions theaters where stolen children played.
A photo from open sources
It’s hard to say what fate awaited these stolen teenagers, when they were husbands. Perhaps one of them was becoming a professional actor, but most, judging by those found documents simply served the theater as a slave force, while fate did not smile at someone with an unintentional release from this bondage. But what was waiting in the wild for such a man who, thanks to his theater profession became an outcast of society? ..
At this time, only the Shakespeare Theater was an exception. Women boys and boys also played roles in it, however these were voluntary students, not slaves.
Russia time
