London's first theater was opened when Shakespeare was about twelve years old, and the whole theatrical system came into being during his lifetime. It all started with acting troupes, which consisted of three to four men and a boy to play the female roles. These troupes would travel around the country and act anywhere: in town squares, pageants, inn courtyards, noblemen's halls. Many troupes were formed by unsavory characters that caused a lot of trouble …showed first 75 words of 695 total…

…showed last 75 words of 695 total…no longer the property of its author and the author did not share in the profits from either performance or publication. If another troupe's play became popular the competition would send somebody to watch the performance and write the text down in shorthand. The widespread plagiarism only proves that theater was a popular form of entertainment and a lucrative business. By the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there were 11 theaters in London.