Vk.comlbastau. Getting Rich on Shakespeare

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Getting Rich on Shakespeare

Although the United States in the 1800s didn't seem like a good place to

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72. How many months did she tour?

A) for sixteen

B) for fourteen

C) for fifteen

D) for eighteen

present Shakespearean drama, it was. Americans weren't well- educated and,

compared to Europe; the U.S. was a wild country with uncomfortable accommodations and primitive transportation. But famous European actors who crossed the Atlantic with their productions found that in the cities, small towns, and even mining camps of the United States, there was plenty of money to be made on classical drama.

In order to earn that money, however, actors had to do much more then just memorize their lines and look handsome on the stage. They had to be managers of their own theater companies. Edwin Booth, one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of this day, chose the plays his group performed, organized the players, and took charge of rehearsals. He also took care of business, and that usually meant making the complicated arrangements for taking a company " on the road."

The road was any place outside New York City that had enough residents to fill a " theater". A " theater" was a place that held a group of people willing to pay to see a live performance. So plays were put on just about anywhere, including the general store. The audience, which was usually starved for contact with the outside world, often had a very dramatic reaction to the plays. More than once the actor who was unfortunate enough to be playing the villain was attacked while on stage for his evil ways. But despite all the problems, a good company could earn thousands of dollars for each week on the road, and that was reward enough for the difficulties of the job.

Perhaps the greatest American tour of all time was Sarah Bernhardt's

E) for seventeen

73. What was the reaction of miners to the plays?

A) a very dramatic

B) a very quiet

C) boring

D) a very serious

E) a very pleasant

74. How much money a good company could earn?

A) ten dollars for each week

B) thousands of dollars for each week

C) million dollars for each week

D) millions of dollars for each week

E) hundreds of dollars for each week

75. Who was one of the best Shakespearian actors of that

A) Erward Booth

B) Edwin Booth

C) Edwin Bush

D) Edwin Blis

E)Edgar Booth

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farewell tour in 1916. By then she was successful and wealthy, and the most famous actress alive. Although she was 71 years old, she had more energy than people half her age. She toured for eighteen months, giving 266 performances­ some in town halls, some in broken-down theaters, some in a borrowed tent, and even once in a skating rink. She won fans wherever she went. The tour earned over a million dollars, of which she received $305, 000 in profit. The great actress was also quite a moneymaker.

71. How old was Sarah Bernhardt?

A) 91

B) 61

C) 71

D) 81

E) 51

76. How much money did she receive at the end of the tour? A) $300.000

B) $350.000 C) $305.000 D) $35.000 E) $3.500

77. What did he have to do?

A) took care of old people

B) took care of mines

C) took care of education of American miners

D) took care of business

E) took care of the quality pf mining camps

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