Review for Quiz # 2
will cover Roman Theatre, Early Asian Performance- India
Study Guide & Key terms are posted
www.professormalone.com
Medieval
Theatre
Middle Ages
we can break up the
middle ages into segments
the early Middle Ages
the High Middle Ages
dates depends on the art
form we are considering...
source:
Dates to consider:
476 C.E. — The Fall of Rome
1054 C.E. — The schism between the East and West
(specifically in Christianity) occurred in 1054- with the easter
Christianity refusing to acknowledge the papacy (The Pope as
supreme ruler/leader)
5th century (C.E.) — 1453:The Byzantine Empire – archived
Greek and Roman culture (plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles,
Euripides, Aristophanes, as well as Roman works)
1453 — eastern Empire fell and works were taken to the
West; these works influenced the Renaissance
The Roman Empire (the fall)
overrun by barbarians, form northern Europe
institutions destroyed
The Roman Catholic Church filled the role of
“central” governing institution –
secular rulers subject to the church's
influence/approval, etc.
Medieval society
agrarian (farming, tied to the land)
specific Feudal System:
lords, counts
lesser lords/landowners
vassals
serfs/peasants
High Middle Ages
around the 11th, 12th,
and 13th centuries C.E.
“rebirth” of towns due to
trade and commerce
guild system- trades
eradication of feudalism
High Middle Ages
Spread of knowledge
Universities and
Monasteries
Theology – main
intellectual pursuit
Medieval Drama
Morality plays
Mystery or Cycle plays
Morality Plays
uses religious characters
and themes to teach a
moral lesson
uses allegories
Everyman
allegory
noun,
1.
a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through
concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one
subject under the guise of another.
source:http://www.dictionary.com/browse/allegory?s=t
Everyman
by Anonymous
Everyman is the best known Morality play
productions happening even today
written in the 15th century by an anonymous
writer
Flemish play called Elckerlijic, first printed in
1495 with an identical story- not known
which play came first
Characters in Everyman
Everyman
Kindred
Discretion
God
Goods
Five-Wits
Death
Good-Deeds
Beauty
Messenger
Knowledge
Angel
Fellowship
Confession
Doctor
Cousin
Strength
Adaptations
National Theatre- London
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_9czNg8rns
4 min 2 sec.
Lego Everymanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM5Zwd427iU
3 min 53 sec.
Traditional Text- Alternative Staging with Puppets
Everyman at PCC (Portland Community College)
https://youtu.be/JkM8v0m3URg?t=6m29s
Death- messenger is summoned
(scene)
Creating a Scenario
Each Group will create a new “summary” of the assigned
scene
Each Scenario should “improvise” dialogue between
Everyman and other characters
Each Scenario should follow the main action of the script but
may adapt other aspects.. e.g. the language/slang spoken,
modernizing, etc.
Each group will perform their assigned “scenario”- decide on
who will perform which parts, there may also be a director in
the group, or narrator- use your imagination
Groups
1- Rewrite Everyman & Death
2- Rewrite Everyman & Fellowship
3- Rewrite Everyman & Kindred & Cousin
4- Rewrite Everyman & Goods
5- Rewrite Everyman & Knowledge & GoodDeeds
Perform
Mystery or Cycle Plays
dramatized series of biblical scenes,
based on Old and New Testaments
Short dramas
Entertaining, historical, and full of
anachronisms
The Second Shepherd’s Play
Theatrical spaces throughout the
town
Towns had their own scripts/cycles,
i.e. Yorktown cycle, Chester cycle
Mystery or Cycle Plays
Creation to Doomsday
sponsored by the guilds
Noah and the Flood shipbuilders, fishers,
mariners, etc
Crucifixion: Carpenters
Gifts to Christ: Goldsmith