This article will primarily explore in chronological order the financial escapades of theater in England during the 17th century. During the reigns of James I and Charles I, the theater flourished, gaining most of its support from the nobility. During the Reformation, the theater could not prosper without the support that everyone was too afraid to give. After the Restoration of the monarchy, the nobility tried a different approach to running the theaters by giving a monopoly to William Davenant and Thomas Killigrew. Much of the responsibility for finding funds fell on what managers could extract from the pockets of theatergoers. Specific managers were appointed to look after the welfare of the theatre, rather than a noble patron. Money and support still came from the monarchy, but not as much as before the Reformation. When William III inherited the throne, the theater was left to its own devices and changed hands several times until the end of the century. In 1603, the public companies came under the direct control of the monarchy when James I ascended the throne. James inherited many financial problems and left England with a debt of over £400,000 when he died. James immediately became a patron of the theater when he came to power. The Lord Chamberlain's men became the King's men and the Admiral's company became Prince Henry's men. The rise in social status gave actors the right to call themselves gentlemen. The rest of society was somewhat tolerant of this social change, but did not recognize the actors' status as gentlemen among themselves. At the beginning of the century, in 1608, theaters were closed for a year due to the plague. Actors from both companies were paid the same as non-skills...... middle of paper ......t & Co., 1879. TheatreDatabase.com. Internet. November 19, 2011. Boswell, Eleanore B. The Restoration Court Stage, 1660-1702, with a special account of Calisto's production. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1966. PrintEdwards, Philip. Threshold of a Nation: A Study in English and Irish Theatre. London: Cambridge University Press, 1979. Print. Gurr, Andrew. The Shakespeare Company, 1594-1642. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print. McLean, Ralph. “James VI and I and his patronage of the arts.” Britain in Print. Internet. November 20, 2011. Owen, Susan J. A Companion to the Restoration Drama. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2008. PrintWilson, John H. A Preface to the Restoration Drama. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965. Print.