This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 edition. Excerpt: ... compulsory sale to themselves of certain shares was, apparently, granted. The price of shares, doubtless, varied with the company, the circumstances and the date. In 1593, Francis Henslowe appears to have paid only 15 for a share in the Queen's company on the eve of a provincial tour, and, two years later, ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 edition. Excerpt: ... compulsory sale to themselves of certain shares was, apparently, granted. The price of shares, doubtless, varied with the company, the circumstances and the date. In 1593, Francis Henslowe appears to have paid only 15 for a share in the Queen's company on the eve of a provincial tour, and, two years later, the same actor paid 9 for a half share in another company. The values of shares in the Globe and the Blackfriars in 1615 have been mentioned above. In 1633, Shankes paid 350 for one housekeepers' share in the Blackfriars for a term of five years, and two housekeepers' shares in the Globe for a term of one year. The pleadings in the dispute referred to state that actors who were not housekeepers received 180 each in the year 1634, while the housekeepers' shares appear to have brought in something over 100 each share. A writer in 1643 speaks of housekeepers sharing as much as 30s. a performance. The sums are not surprising when we remember that, to the. price of admission (which varied between one penny at a public playhouse to six at a private) paid to the single "gatherer" at the entrance door, were added the extra fees, amounting sometimes to 2s. 6d., demanded by the extra "gatherers" within, for the use of the various parts of the galleries. Hired men were engaged by contract either by the company or the manager, and received a weekly salary, varying from 5s. to 8s. Boys were bought as apprentices by individual players, for sums varying from 2 to something like 15, their masters, presumably, also maintaining them; and, in some cases, boys appear to have been bought and maintained by the company. Strict regulations were made for the behaviour of all members of the company, shareholders and hired men...
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