Liturgical Drama - A Thing of the Past?

by Lillian Bills, dramaturg

The original Everyman comes from several hundred years of liturgical (religious) drama in Western Europe. There were several different kinds of liturgical drama that arose during the medieval ages including mystery plays (retellings of bible stories) and morality plays (plays that teach a moral).

Hrotsvitha, a German nun in the 10^th century, is credited with being the oldest medieval playwright. She wrote liturgical comedies which focus on the battle between good and evil, chastity, and martyrs.

Liturgical drama was created not only to entertain audiences, but also to make Bible stories more relatable or to remind audiences to choose good over evil.

Liturgical drama dominated English theater for about 400 years. According to Glynne Wickham, an English Drama scholar, the end of overtly religious drama in England began when Queen Elizabeth 1 banned the Corpus Christi festival in 1557.

Luckily for us, we still have records of the old religious plays and new ones are being produced and written. Religious drama is all around us. Have you ever seen VeggieTales or Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat?

What other examples of religious drama are there?

Has Bible dramatization helped increase your understanding of the teachings of Christ? How?

For a more in-depth look at Medieval Plays in England: http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/medievaldrama.htm

For a fun video about Hrotsvitha: https://www.pbs.org/video/hrotsvitha-hildegard-and-the-nun-who-resurrected-theater-qayhtj/

For some information about the religious tensions during the Elizabethan Era: https://www.hartfordstage.org/stagenotes/hamlet/elizabethan-era/

Bibliography:

Fletcher, Robert H. “Medieval Drama: An Introduction to Middle English Plays.”, April 12, 2012, http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/medievaldrama.htm.

“Hrotsvitha, Hildegard, and the Nun Who Resurrected Theater.” , directed by Stan Muller. , produced by John Green, and Hank Green. , performance by Michael Rugnetta. , PBS Digital Studios, 2018.

Wickham, Glynne. Early English Stages 1300-1660. vol. 3, Columbia University Press, 1981.

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by Janine Sobeck, dramaturg Tech week is one of the most exciting moments in any show. It's the time when we get to leave our rehearsal room, move onto stage, and add all of the production elements. To help the actors adapt to all the changes we usually make a gradual transition. Pre-tech: While still in the rehearsal room, actors are given certain rehearsal props and costumes to help them in the creation of their characters. In the case of Princess Academy, all the girls were given rehearsal skirts and all the characters were given rehearsal books and and other items (such as the miri flower). We also added all of the instruments used in the show. Tech day 1: The first day of tech included adding the set and sound. One of the biggest changes for our actors is the ramps on our stage. They finally had the opportunity to climb the mountain! Tech day 2: It's time to add the props! In order to support Director Megan Sanborn Jones' vision of the show, prop designer Scott Jackson made all of the props out of paper, letters, and books. Tech days 3-4: This is what we call an "All Tech." The final elements of the show (lights, costumes, and make-up) are added into the mix. Day 3 is spent working through all the cues in act 1 and day 4 is spent working through act 2. Tech days 5-7: The time has come to run the show! These are our dress rehearsals, where the goal is to do the show exactly as if it was a real performance. This means starting at our normal curtain time and trying to never stop. The director, playwright, dramaturgs, and designers sit in the audience making notes about what is working and what still needs to change. At the end of the nights, the actors and designers are given feedback and we rehearse any moments that need some extra attention. Tech day 8: Which is today! Tonight is the time when we finally get to add the final element of the show: the audience! Our final day of tech is known as the "preview performance." Friends, families, and students are invited to see the show before we officially open. While we always reserve the right to stop the show if necessary (it is, after all, still a rehearsal), we hope that everything will go smoothly!

Liturgical Drama - A Thing of the Past?

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