Edward Alleyn

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)
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Edward Alleyn (usually pronounced Allen) was one of the most famous actor-managers of the Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre. Born at The Pie Inn in London’s Bishopsgate, where his father was the publican, he lost his father in childhood and his mother is then believed to have married an actor who influenced the young boy. Alleyn joined the Earl of Worcester’s Players before he was eighteen, and in 1589 became the leading actor of the Lord Admiral’s Men. In 1592 he married Joan Woodward, stepdaughter to the actor-manager Philip Henslowe, and through this marriage became part owner of Henslowe’s theatres, notably The Rose in Bankside and the Fortune Theatre in Cripplegate, the main rival of The Globe. He also became involved in Henslowe’s bull- and bear-baiting activities which…

382 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Edward Alleyn". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 October 2004; last revised 25 May 2005. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=89, accessed 19 March 2024.]

89 Edward Alleyn 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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