2. Shakespeare's Globe
theater (London, UK)
The original Globe theater was built by
Shakespeare's company, the Lord
Chamberlain's Men, in 1599, but was
destroyed by fire in 1613.
A replica was built in 1997 just meters
from the original site, with historical
records used for guidance.
Though almost identical in appearance to
the original, the new 857-seat structure
has several modern features, including
roof-based sprinklers and a concrete
theater pit, as opposed to the straw-
strewn one that would have existed in
1599.
One feature faithfully recreated is the
roof - Shakespeare's Globe has the first
and only thatched roof permitted in
London since the great fire of 1666.
3. The Elgin and Winter
Garden Theater
Center (Toronto,
Canada)
This is actually two theaters,
stacked on top of each other,
to create the world's only
operating double-decker
theater.
The Winter Gardens Theater
is seven stories above the
Elgin Theater in downtown
Toronto.
4. Minack Theatre
(Cornwall, UK)
The theater was the brainchild of
the late Rowena Cade, who
decided to allow her garden to be
used by a local theatrical group.
In 1932, Cade, with the help of her
gardener, hauled several tons of
rock from the beach below and
created a more permanent venue,
which she opened to the public.
Today, there are performances
between June and September,
though the theater remains open
all year round.
5. Margravial Opera
House (Bayreuth,
Germany)
Built in 1745, the UNESCO-listed
Margravial Opera House is
regarded as the finest baroque
theater in Europe.
The stage has a depth of 27 meters
and was the largest in Europe until
1871.
Much of the original materials
remain along with original
structures, such as the twin
staircases that led up to the private
box belonging to Margrave of
Brandenburg-Bayreut and his wife,
who commissioned the theater.
6. Teatru Manoel
(Valetta, Malta)
Teatru Manoel is one of
Europe's oldest working
theaters -- it was built in
1731 with funds from The
Knights of Malta, a Western
Christian military order.
It remained unscathed
during both World Wars.
7. State
Theatre (Sydney,
Australia)
Sydney's State Theatre opened in
1928.
It was designed by Aussie architect
Eli White, but his decision to base
his masterpiece on the work of
American John Eberson resulted in
a mishmash of Gothic, Italian and
art deco styles.
The theater contains the second
largest chandelier in the world and
a priceless Wurlitzer organ, and is
recognized by The National Trust
of Australia.
