1. Theater Chapter 6: Medieval Theatre

2. Who Goes There?! “Quem Queritas”: Latin for ”whom seek ye.” These are the earliest “play” from medieval era. It was approximately 4 lines long, performed on Easter morning as part of the mass. About 1000 A.D. and was done in the language of the church – Latin.

3. Medieval Theater – oh Boy. Mummers: masked performers probably descended from Roman mimes.

4. Medieval Theater – oh Boy. Jongleurs: wandering poets and minstrels.

5. Medieval Theater – oh Boy. Tropes: Short religious plays, probably sung or chanted in antiphonal styles of medieval music in which contrasting voices and musical themes play off each other. (like the Gregorian chants)

6. (You will have to write this out) Liturgical Drama: elaborate plays performed within the confines of the church. Mansions: various areas of the church were specified for the performance of Liturgical dramas. Mansions were very similar to the Stations of the Cross which are still standard in most Catholic churches.

7. Bring on the Church Nativity Plays: plays in which the story of Christmas was acted out. These plays are still popular in churches today. Guilds: associations of craftsmen were one of the most stable forms of organization in the medieval world. They protected their workers, set prices, assured quality, and were benevolent organizations providing for needs of their members in life and beyond.

8. Tableaus Tableau Roulant: literally, “rolling scenes”. Large wagons bearing rather elaborate scenery and the actors for a particular episode that would ride into view and stop to perform for spectators. Tableau Vivant: literally, “living representation”. Similar to the tableau roulant, but these wagons would remain stationary and the audience would move from one wagon to the next to watch different scenes.

9. Portable Theatre Pageant Wagon: elaborate rolling stages on which various scenes were performed. Cycle Plays: a series of 24 to 48 plays in order and at the same time on the occasion of a feast day.

10. Other Medieval Theatre Morality Plays: Abstract and didactic in nature, these plays showed individuals struggling with the temptations of the world. These plays dealt with moral conflicts. Allegory: a dramatic device in which an actor represents or symbolizes an idea or principle (good, evil, death, fortune, etc.). Interludes: plays performed in between other forms of entertainment (feasts, dancing). These plays were often comedic in nature.

11. An Early Hybrid Farce: a comic play where the focus is on the ridiculousness of human nature and punishment of vice is treated humorously. The farce remains extremely popular today. It originated in 1300’s France.

12. Closing the Church Passion Plays: Dramas which play out the final hours of the life of Jesus with great spectacle and theatricality.

13. Closing the Church Hrotsvitha: Danish nun copying plays in a monastery. She later writes plays (never performed), that were read in the monastery, but not performed. She later inspires Shakespeare.