22 Charles William Wallace 
known that Shakespeare was associated with the Burbages prior 
to 1594, when, some time after the death of Lord Strange, Earl 
of Derby, which fell on April 16, 1594, another reorganization of 
companies was effected. Thereby Edward Alleyn became perma- 
nent head of the Admiral’s company, and at the same time certain 
men of the late Lord Derby’s company, namely, William Kempe, 
Thomas Pope, John Heminges, Augustine Phillipps, and George 
Bryan, united with Richard Burbage and William Shakespeare 
in the reorganization or formation of that illustrious permanent 
company under Lord Hunsdon, known throughout the rest of 
Elizabeth’s reign as the Lord Chamberlain’s company and there- 
after for the next forty years as the King’s players. With this 
company Shakespeare was associated from 1594 to the close of 
his dramatic career some twenty years later. The first notice of 
his connection with it is contained in the official record of pay- 
ment of 20/. by the Treasurer of the Chamber “To William 
Kempe William Shakefpeare & Richarde Burbage fervauntes to 
the lorde Chamberleyne” for two comedies acted at Court on 
December 26 and 28, 1594. According to a letter from Lord 
Hunsdon to the Lord Mayor in their behalf, October 8, 1594, this 
company was then acting at the Cross Keys in Gracious street, 
where James Burbage may have had a company in 1579, when he’ 
was arrested on his way to a play there, as above noticed. Their 
principal playhouses after 1594 appear to have been the Theatre 
and the Curtain up to the close of 1598, when they set about 
building the Globe. We have the contemporary evidence of John 
Marston that Romeo and Juliet was acted at the Curtain about 
1598. The joint management of the Theatre and the Curtain 
by the Burbages and Henry Laneman from 1585 to 1592 may 
have been extended in such way that members of the company 
owned shares. It is known that at least one of them, Thomas 
Pope, at the date of his death in 1603, still owned one share in 
the Curtain, and that even as late as 1623, John Underwood, at 
his death, owned a share in the Curtain. 
As the period of Barbage’s lease of the Theatre property was 
drawing to a close, it became necessary for him to provide for 
the future. The landlord, Gyles Allen, was not disposed to renew 
22 
