WALLA WALLA - Before William Shakespeare became a wellknown playwright, he was an actor with Pembroke's Men about a decade before the end of the 16th century.

Perhaps more than anyone, the English bard knew that actors feed off their audience. A silent, immovable crowd can kill a good play. A responsive one can inspire actors and lift their performance.

So, when it came time to design their own theater in the heart of Elizabethan London, Shakespeare and his friends from the world of drama knew they wanted a venue that brought the audience close, very close.

Thus, the second Blackfriars Playhou...