text: The Globe Theatre was not built until 1599, when most scholars agree that he had already completed about 20 of his 38-or-so plays.  There are instances of Shakespeare's plays being performed in at least two of "The Inns of Court", which are four law schools in London: The Comedy of Errors in 1594, and Twelfth Night in 1602.\n\nHe was a stock-holder and an actor in the Lord Chamberlain's Men from 1594-on (the theatre was closed from 1592-1594 due to an outbreak of the plague), with performances before her majesty Queen Elizabeth I.  This is from the-quill.com: "During the years Shakespeare performed with the Chamberlain's Men, before their purchase of the Globe in 1599, they played primarily at the well-established theatres like the Swan, the Curtain, and the Theatre. The troupe would also give regular performances before Elizabeth I and her court, and tour the surrounding areas of London."\n\nSo I suppose the answer to the question should be a).  It appears that Shakespeare did quite a bit of writing and performing before the Globe Theatre was even built.  \n\nGood luck!