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ReadingWillow structured literacy program for Australian students
Poetry Library

— Stephen Crane

I stood upon a high place,

And saw, below, many devils

Running, leaping,

And carousing in sin.

…

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noun

A person whose profession is acting on the stage, in films, or on television.

“The lead actor delivered a powerful performance that moved the entire audience to tears.”

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Digitized t?y Google

41 lines
Ben Jonson·1572–1637
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ISE AND PROGRESS OF THE STACE. Xxi After a discontinuance of eighteen months, bothhouses were again opened at Christmas, 1666. Themiseries occasioned by the plague and fire were for-gotten, and public diversions were again followed withas much eagerness as they had been before their inter-ruption. Both companies were at first successful ; butafter the novelty of the several performers was worna way, and their stock of plays had been repeated untilthey became familiar, the duke's company, excellentas they were allowed to be, felt their inferiority by theslender audiences they were able to draw together.This consideration induced Sir William Davenant to•try the effects of a new theatre, built with greatermagnificence than that in Lincoln’s Inn, and he choseDorset-Garden, probably where the old playhouse inSalisbury-Court stood, as a proper place for the pur-pose ; but before this theatre was finished he died, andon that event the management of his property thereincame into the hands of his widow Lady Davenant,Mr. Betterton, and Mr. Harris, assisted by CharlesDavenant, afterwards well known as a politician andcivil lawyer. This new house was opened in Novem-ber 1671, notwithstanding an opposition made to it bythe city of London. But the opinion of the publicstill inclining to the king’s company, Mr. Davenantwas obliged to have recourse to a new species of en-tertainment. He determined to call in the assistanceof shew and sound; he increased th«t splehdor of hisscenery, and introduced music, singing, and dancing,into some of the pieces represented. Dramatic operas,with expensive decorations, soon came into fashion,and enabled the duke’s company to obtain an advantageover their competitors, which they were confessedlynot entitled to by their merit. Soon after the duke’s company began to act in theirnew theatre, an accident happened, which must havedisabled their antagonists from contending with themfor a short time. In January, 167 1-2, the playhousein Drury-Lane took fire, and was entirely demolished.The violence of the conflagration was so great, that
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