Early Shakespeare Theater Discovered

By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 6, 2008 8:37 PM CDT
Early Shakespeare Theater Discovered
An archeologist works on uncovering the remains of one of London's earliest theaters, where a young William Shakespeare is thought to have trod the boards.    (AP Photo)

Archeologists think they have found the theater where Romeo and Juliet debuted and where William Shakespeare himself may have trodden the boards. The possible foundations of what is known as simply "the Theatre" were unearthed by builders excavating the London site—a vacant garage—for another structure. Museum archaeologists were called to the location and had a eureka moment when they noticed the angled walls common in the 16th century.

"We all went, 'Oh my gosh, this should be it," said one. Archaeologists had known for a long time that the Theatre may have been located here, but there are no maps that show its location, no images to show what it might have looked like, and only a vague description of it. "It's in the right place," said the archeologist. "It's at the right angle to be a polygonal shape. It's a pretty high possibility." (More William Shakespeare stories.)

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