Often called The Dark Ages Not really a correct title start:
Romes fall 476 AD end: 15 th Century 400 years no organized theatre
- jugglers - traveling minstrels Catholic Church had total control
of drama and art for a 1000 years
Slide 3
Medieval Theatre The first theatre started in the church:
called- tropes - drama scenes performed during the mass - common
people were illiterate - started as tableaus still scenes from the
Bible done at Christmas and Easter
Slide 4
Medieval Theatre The next style of church drama was the
pantomime Then dialogue was added to the church dramas - at first
spoken in Latin - then spoken in native language
Slide 5
Medieval Theatre- Mansions New style: Mansions or Stations
Theatre moved outside of the church to the courtyard Crowds moved
from station to station Plays performed: Mystery- Bible stories of
Christ Miracle-Stories of the Saints Morality- Stories of Right and
Wrong
Slide 6
Mystery Play Acted out the stories of Christs life Still
performed today in parts of England and Germany
Slide 7
Morality Play teaching right and wrong telling people how to
have a good life Famous Morality Play: Everyman Note: we will be
reading this
Slide 8
Miracle Plays The lives of saints in the church still acted
today in England
Slide 9
Medieval Theatre 10 th Century playwright: Hrosvitha -wrote
comedies -moved outside of church -too much action for inside
staging in courtyard special effects used Hells Mouth considered to
be terrifying showed tortured souls featured realistic screams
Slide 10
Medieval Theatre shows an outdoor play with Hells Mouth and
demons to scare the viewers into being better people
Slide 11
Feast of Fools Church festivals were run by younger priest
Other stories done by trade guilds bakers- feeding 5000 Noahs ark-
ship builders removed from church some of characters were too much
like older priest poked fun at superiors
Slide 12
Pageant Wagons- Cycle Plays double-decker wagons that traveled
from town to town resembled parade floats still done in York
Wakefield Chester Coventry Each new scene on different wagon
Slide 13
Pictures of Pageant Wagons
Slide 14
Passion Plays Depict the life of Christ first started as a
promise to God to have town spared from the Black Plagues of the
Dark Ages Performed: in Germany in Spearfish, SD
Slide 15
Major Changes the Dark Ages brought to Theatre viewers closer
to the stage acting and dialogue both became important mixed comic
and serious scenes in the same play more theatre for the common
man