Medieval Theatre

500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.

A Dark time that brought Christianity to light.

Early Middle Ages (500-900)

In the time following the fall of the Roman Empire theatre had little importance. Small bands of performers—storytellers, jesters, tumblers, jugglers-- traveled and performed wherever they could find an audience.

Early Middle Ages (500-900) Secular theatre died in Western Europe

with the fall of Rome Theatrical performances were banned by

the Church as barbaric and pagan Most Roman theatre had been spectacle

rather than literary drama

Roman Literary Drama Origins in Greek drama and Roman

festivals Playwrights

Tragedy: Seneca Comedy: Terence and Plautus

Roman Spectacle Gladiatorial combats

Naval battles in a flooded Coliseum

Liturgical Drama The Church was responsible for the rebirth

of European theatre The Church needed ways to teach illiterate

parishioners: cathedrals, stained glass windows, sculpture, painting and drama

The 3 M’s of Medieval Plays Mystery plays: Based on Biblical stories

Miracle plays: Based on the lives of the saints

Morality plays: allegories

PLAYS Passion plays based on the last week in the

life of Christ. Trope -short dramatized scenes added to the

Catholic mass. Cycles– a series of short plays based on

religious history Allegory - a symbolical narrative; the

representation of abstract ideas by characters

Staging the Plays PROCESSIONAL

Pageant wagons Travel a set route and

perform at several locations: like a parade.

STATIONARY Mansions A series of stages would

be set up around the town square

Anchored at either end by Heaven and Hell

Elaborate special effects such as floods, flying and fiery pits were very popular

Mansions

Mansions

Pageant Wagons A multi-level cart that doubled as a

stage. The underside was the dressing

rooms. Each guild would create a wagon for

their part of the cycle.

Pageant Wagon

Pageant Wagon

Guilds and Cycle Plays Guilds were groups of tradesmen (bakers,

goldsmiths, etc.) whose trade was responsible for part of a story from the Bible which, when combined, made a cycle.

Each guild would compete with the others to see who could produce the most elaborate story.

Cycle

Works Cited http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/HUA/

TT/Globe/slide2.html http://novaonline.nv.cc.va.us/eli/spd130et/m

edieval.htm http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/hwc2

2/Medieval/York/York98.html