Medieval Theatre HistoryTheatre 1-2

Medieval Period Time Frame 300 CE to 1300 CE

Drama owes its rebirth to the Catholic Church

Priests introduce tropes: chants that help those who can’t read or write learn Biblical history.

Church plays become elaborate presentations that are very popular.

Performers were nuns, priests and choirboys.

Quem quaeritis in sepulchro, O Christicole?Jesum Nazarenum crucifixum, O caelicolae.Non est hic, surrexit sicut praedixerat.Ite, nuntiate quia surrexit de sepulchro.

Whom seek ye in the sepulchre, O Christian women?Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified, O heavenly one.He is not here; He is risen, as he foretold.Go, announce that He has risen from the sepulchre

Continued… Church drama expands to present more

and more Bible stories: Miracle and Mystery Plays:

Based on the lives of saints and stories of Bible Passion Play:

Last week of Jesus’ life. First performed in 1634 in Germany. Performed every ten years since 1760. Performance in 1980 drew 600,000.

Mystery Play

Plays performed with Mansions Mansions: Various acting stations placed in

a line, each one a different Biblical location such as: Heaven, Hell, Jerusalem, et cetera.

Medieval trade unions (guilds) presented most Miracle and Mystery plays.

Each guild (bakers, goldsmiths, cooks, et cetera) did one part: the last supper, Three Wise Men, et cetera.

Each guild had pageant wagon (stage on wheels):

Forerunner for modern stage. Wagons traveled from town to town. Audience would stay in one spot while wagons

moved through one by one. Entire sequence called a cycle.

Wandering groups begin presenting Miracle and Mystery plays:

Originators of first acting companies.

Morality plays are also popular at the time:

These dramas were based on the spiritual trials of the average man

Deals with principles of right and wrong echoed in the Bible.

From the manuscript Castle of Perseverance (c. 1400).

Instructions for staging a morality play.

Questions to Ponder… What modern day examples exist of miracle

or mystery plays? Passion plays? Morality Plays?

Which church was the basis of theatre in the Medieval period?

Why did this church have the authority at the time?