Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Kyd had his run-ins with the law. And he might've even been a dirty rat (you know, a snitch). After government authorities found some heretical books (works that denied God) in his apartment, Kyd was thrown into jail. Most believe he got out of jail by diming out his roommate, Christopher Marlowe. And yes, we're talking about Marlowe the famous playwright. Don't be too hard on Kyd, it took torture to open his mouth. (Source)
Shakespeare wishes he wrote a hit as big as The Spanish Tragedy. Not only was the play a box office hit with "twenty-nine performances between 1592 and 1597," but it also inspired eleven editions in print between 1592 and 1633. Not even Shakespeare could sell that many editions of printed plays in his day. Sure, Shakespeare later became the most popular playwright in history. But Kyd was a big deal for his time. (Source)
Even though The Spanish Tragedy was a huge hit in its day, the play hasn't got much love from modern audiences. There were only a few amateur productions in the first half of the twentieth century. And then there was only a modest revival amounting to five professional productions from 1973 to 1997. Where's the love? (Source)