William Sly facts for kids
William Sly was a famous actor who lived a long time ago, during a period called the English Renaissance. He worked with very well-known actors like William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage. They were part of acting groups called the Lord Chamberlain's Men and later the King's Men. William Sly passed away in August 1608.
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Starting His Acting Career
We don't know much about William Sly's early life. He first appears in historical records around 1591. This is when he played a character named Porrex in a play called The Seven Deadly Sins. He acted alongside other actors who would later become his friends and colleagues. These actors included Augustine Phillips, Thomas Pope, Richard Cowley, and George Bryan.
At first, William Sly was likely a "hired man" for the Lord Chamberlain's Men. This meant he was paid for his work but wasn't a part-owner of the company. Around 1597, he might have become a "sharer," meaning he owned a part of the acting company. This happened when George Bryan, another actor, retired.
Sly's Roles and Plays
William Sly was listed in the cast for several plays during his career. He acted in plays by a famous writer named Ben Jonson. These plays included Every Man in His Humour (in 1598), Every Man Out of His Humour (in 1599), and Sejanus (in 1603).
In May 1603, the Lord Chamberlain's Men became the King's Men. This happened when King James I took over the throne. William Sly was one of the actors who owned a share in this new company. He even played himself in a short introduction to a play called The Malcontent by John Marston. In this scene, he quoted a line from Shakespeare's play Hamlet. This suggests that William Sly might have played the character of Osric in Hamlet.
Being a shareholder meant William Sly owned a part of the acting company and its theaters.
The Globe and Blackfriars Theatres
In 1605, William Sly became a shareholder in the famous Globe Theatre. This was a very important outdoor theater where many of Shakespeare's plays were performed. In the same year, he helped manage the will of his fellow actor, Augustine Phillips, after Phillips passed away.
The King's Men also took over another theater called the Blackfriars Theatre in August 1608. William Sly was also a shareholder in this theater. However, he died very soon after this happened. His share in the Blackfriars Theatre was then divided among the other actors who owned parts of the company. William Sly was buried on August 16, 1608, in St. Leonard's Church in Shoreditch, London.
William Sly's Will
In his last will, William Sly left his share in the Globe Theatre to another actor named Robert Browne. He also left a large sum of money, £40, to someone named James Saunder or Sands. This person might have been a young actor in The Seven Deadly Sins almost twenty years earlier. William Sly also left his sword and hat to Cuthbert Burbage, who was the brother of Richard Burbage and also involved in the theater.
