Post on 17-Dec-2015
transcript
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
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
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.
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.