medival theatre Flashcards
WHY was there a re-emergence of theatre at this time?
- after fall of the Roman Empire, theatrical performances are now limited to TRAVELLING SHOWS of entertainers on wooden platforms.
- Church reinstates drama with priests enacting bible stories in church
3.litugy was in latin and majority of people were illiterate that were peasants and serfs = church dramatisizes bible stories to make sense to them
- stage= rows of platforms in church =close relationship between audience and performers.
- liturgical plays moved out of church, onto street. = rise of church influence on people and theatre
what are the TYPES OF STAGES in medival theatre?
- fixed stages (stayed in one place)
- movable stages (popular travelling theatres, platform on wheels called a PAGEANT WAGON, moved on streets, stoped in designated place for people to watch, with hut for chaging costumes)
why was there a re-emergence of theatre in the church?
- litugy was in latin
- majority of people were illiterate peasants and serfs = church dramatisizes bible stories to make sense to them
what were the TWO main performance areas in the church?
give descriptions of both
1.The playne (performance space)
2. Mansions/loci: small stage boxes along nave long part
why did drama move out of the church building?
- lack of space, freedom to experiment with staging, closer to god
- introduced to evil and comical characters = seen as innapropriate
- many diseases, = cleaner
- arguments in church council
what major things happened in the 1300s?
- control beyond church kinda, but approved scripts and plays
- mystery cycled= joint venture between church and trade guilds
- town council had big control, monitored and fined trade guilds if broke rules. guilds had control, associated with tradesmen, provided props, effects, appointed pagent master.
- day of corpus christie = cycle of plays presented
what were the THREE major stages?
give explanation of both
1.static booth stage: easily erected and dismantled.
- pagaent wagon: mobile, perambulatory
- hall plays: important, elite plays for special occasions, outside,
allegory
a spiritual journey that often takes place in a form of a physical one.
allegorical character
personification of abstract quality.
what did the pageant wagon look like?
- two stories high, secrets built under stage and on top level.
- machinery ontop, simbolise heavens
- when scene finished, moved to next destination where people watch
- hells mouth= special effects, popular, smoke, guns, drums, devils unmasked climbed out of mouth.
what did the pagaent master do?
- director/stage manager
- annual salary, observes cycles for years
- many responsibilities, cast actors, employ set builders, speak to audience before play, summarising.
what were the actors and actor style?
- plays = 5 characters
- working class men/boys
- sometimes nobility
- actors=same actor for years
- well known actors paid more
- mystery cycles=2-5 days
what were the costumes and special effects of the play?
- contemporary medival dress, devils wore headresses, claws, tails
- special effects recreated for enacting miracles in bible
- animal bones burned to recreate smell of hell
- squib= animal bladder under charcaters costume to show real life wounds.
- hired musicians, music NB
what entailed the morality plays?
- didactic, 7 deadly sins, 7 cardinal values
- battle between good vs evil in human soul
- charcaters simbolise every GOOD CHRISTIAN MAN.
7 deadly sins and 7 cardinal virtues:
7 deadly sins: sloth, greed, gluttony, lust, pride, envy, wrath.
7 cardinal virtues: charity, prudence, faith, hope. fortitude, justice, temperance.
