Mystery play: (also called miracle play) a medieval drama based on a religious story and performed in the vernacular. During the 13th century, trade guilds in Europe started producing plays based on biblical stories; originally these were performed in churches, but they became increasingly secular and began to be staged elsewhere. In England they were performed on temporary stages or on wagons which were trundled along an established route, stopping at fixed points where the audience awaited them.
Cycle Plays: a group of works, usually narrative poems, that either share a common theme or subject or are linked together as a sequence. The mystery plays of the Middle Ages that were performed as a sequence during the same festival at a particular place are referred to as the York Cycle, the Chester Cycle.
I just thought it would be helpful to clarify that although the plays are listed as mystery plays and cycle plays, they are in fact the same thing. Both terms refer to a medieval drama that deals with plays that travel around the town as a group. Therefore the play "The Building of the Ark" is in fact a mystery play and a cycle play.
"mystery play" World Encyclopedia. Philip's, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 6 December 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t142.e7914>
"cycle" The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Chris Baldick. Oxford University Press, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 6 December 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t56.e281>
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Some History...
The York Mystery Plays were first performed in 1376 and continued for 200 years before being shut down by the Protestant Reformation. They were revived in 1951 as part of the Britain Festival and since 1992 they have been performed in the streets of York for modern audiences.
The York plays tell the stories of the Bible from Creation to the Last Judgment. They are broken down into short productions that last only minutes and do not need huge stages, backstage areas, costume changes, or too many props. It can be assumed that the plays were kept short in order to maintain the audiences attention so that they could focus on the stories of God. Being that the stories of the God were the most important part of life in medieval York, it was important to keep the shows short and too the point.
"YORK MYSTERY PLAYS." Loading. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.yorkfestivals.com/metadot/index.pl?iid=4371&isa=Category>.
"2008-09 Yale Repertory Theatre | Passion Play." Yale Repertory Theatre. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.yalerep.org/on_stage/currentseason/passionplay/british_passion.html#>.
The York plays tell the stories of the Bible from Creation to the Last Judgment. They are broken down into short productions that last only minutes and do not need huge stages, backstage areas, costume changes, or too many props. It can be assumed that the plays were kept short in order to maintain the audiences attention so that they could focus on the stories of God. Being that the stories of the God were the most important part of life in medieval York, it was important to keep the shows short and too the point.
"YORK MYSTERY PLAYS." Loading. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.yorkfestivals.com/metadot/index.pl?iid=4371&isa=Category>.
"2008-09 Yale Repertory Theatre | Passion Play." Yale Repertory Theatre. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.yalerep.org/on_stage/currentseason/passionplay/british_passion.html#>.
Modern Productions
Modern Day Guilds putting on the York Plays
Today the York plays have been performed throughout the united states and Europe in theatre festivals and other events. The modern performances deal with many of the same issues that the medieval guilds faced when putting on their productions. For instance, the pageant wagons traveled from one location to the next through out the town, this meant that roads would have to be closed, areas would have to be blocked off, and their would have to be some sort of map that illustrated where the performance locations would have been. For modern performances this means dealing with the police, hiring crowd control, and having programs for audiences so that they know what times and where the performances will be taking place. Also, posters and advertising would be necessary for the community to know when the plays were going on and when.
Today the York plays have been performed throughout the united states and Europe in theatre festivals and other events. The modern performances deal with many of the same issues that the medieval guilds faced when putting on their productions. For instance, the pageant wagons traveled from one location to the next through out the town, this meant that roads would have to be closed, areas would have to be blocked off, and their would have to be some sort of map that illustrated where the performance locations would have been. For modern performances this means dealing with the police, hiring crowd control, and having programs for audiences so that they know what times and where the performances will be taking place. Also, posters and advertising would be necessary for the community to know when the plays were going on and when.
Music to Accompany the Plays
Video of Modern Performance of York Mystery Plays
The video link not only shows the York Cycle plays beings put on in a modern setting, it also shows some authentic musical instruments from the medieval time period that would have been a major part of the pageant plays.
Some of the instruments that might have been part of the pageant plays are:
The video link not only shows the York Cycle plays beings put on in a modern setting, it also shows some authentic musical instruments from the medieval time period that would have been a major part of the pageant plays.
Some of the instruments that might have been part of the pageant plays are:
- The Harp: one of the most ancient types of stringed instruments. It was important in pre-Christian cultures and still survives today in many forms all over the world. In the Middle Ages strings were made from twisted animal gut (usually from sheep), although horse hair and even silk were used as well.
- The rauschpfeife is a loud reed-cap instrument with a double reed. The name comes from the German rausch (noise) or rusch (reed). The Italian name for the instrument, schreierpfeife, is from schreien (to cry or scream). The rauschpfeife's screaming sound, full of overtones, gives it enough carrying power to be used outdoors, unlike the other reed-cap instruments.
- The shawm was the most important double reed instrument of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The shrill piercing tone of the medieval shawm made it suitable for use outdoors. It is still found in Asian and European folk cultures today.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Costumes
For the pageant plays of the Medieval England, costumes were the responsibility of the guild that was putting on the play. Therefore many of the pageants had simple costumes, unless the guild had to do with the fabric.
The costumes for "The building of the Ark" play would probably be generic and follow the simple guides that other pageant plays followed. Noah, being an important biblical character would have worn contemporary clothing, hoods, doublets, or loose gowns. On the other hand, God would wear bishops robes to show his importance and religiousness.
"Stagecraft (theatre) :: Medieval Costume -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/562420/stagecraft/278588/Medieval-costume>.
The costumes for "The building of the Ark" play would probably be generic and follow the simple guides that other pageant plays followed. Noah, being an important biblical character would have worn contemporary clothing, hoods, doublets, or loose gowns. On the other hand, God would wear bishops robes to show his importance and religiousness.
"Stagecraft (theatre) :: Medieval Costume -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/562420/stagecraft/278588/Medieval-costume>.
The Ark Discovered?
Although this does not necessarily pertain to the pageant play "The Building of the Ark," the supposed finding of the ark on a mountain in eastern turkey is really interesting. If this is the actual ark built by Noah, then some of the discoveries made could tell us how the ark would have looked and been constructed which would help with the set design of the pageant plays set pieces. Also some of the pottery that was discovered at the location and some of the supposed anchor stones that were found could also help with the props and set pieces of the pageant play. The location of the discovery of the ark could also help with figuring out the setting of the play. Since it was discovered in eastern turkey, it can be supposed that when God contacted Noah in the story of Noah and the Ark, that Noah resided somewhere in turkey. Thus the landscape would be similar to turkey and that will help with the set of the pageant play.
Facts about the Supposed Ark discovery:
Video of the Noah's Ark Discovery
"FoxNews.com - Has Noah's Ark Been Found on Turkish Mountaintop?" FoxNews.com - Breaking News | Latest News | Current News. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/27/noahs-ark-found-turkey-ararat/>.
"Noah's Ark Overview." Welcome to ArkDiscovery.com. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.arkdiscovery.com/noah's_ark.htm>.
"YouTube - Revealing God's Treasure - Noah's Ark." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PSZNYdfawQ>.
Facts about the Supposed Ark discovery:
- Word found embedded in the mountain was in the shape of a boat.
- Matches the exact length that is stated in the bible (515 Feet).
- Found on a Mt. in eastern turkey, which matched the biblical description.
- Contains petrified wood.
- Pottery and anchor rocks were discovered near the site of the ship.
Video of the Noah's Ark Discovery
 |
| Supposed site of the Ark |
"FoxNews.com - Has Noah's Ark Been Found on Turkish Mountaintop?" FoxNews.com - Breaking News | Latest News | Current News. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/27/noahs-ark-found-turkey-ararat/>.
"Noah's Ark Overview." Welcome to ArkDiscovery.com. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.arkdiscovery.com/noah's_ark.htm>.
"YouTube - Revealing God's Treasure - Noah's Ark." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PSZNYdfawQ>.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Pageant Wagons
The York Cycle plays were performed on pageant wagons that were pulled from one location to another around the town of York for different audiences. Basically, it is the equivalent of the modern day parades. Because the wagons had to travel to several locations and also had to be moved quickly due to the following play coming up behind it, they had to be light, mobile, and small enough to be moved easily. Most of the time the pageants were moved by members of the guild that were putting on the particular performance.
The Wagons were a decorated wheeled platform which the actors performed on. They were small, about 8 feet by 12 feet. Some of the wagon had special effects as well, such as trap doors and rope-pulley systems. There were also wagons that had a separate scaffolding that could be attached to the wagon to allow another level of acting space.
The wagon for "The Building of the Ark" play would have to include a pulley system or a scaffolding for God to make his appearance because God should be raised above all other actors and audience members because of his spiritual importance to the religion. In medieval England especially, the artwork that portrays God, they show him always raised above the rest to honor his importance. Also, the wagon would have to show several aspects of the Shipwright's guild including some part of an ark assembled or in the process of being assembled. Also, because the wagons were so small and there was no back stage area, the set would have to be very minimal. Possibly a landscape and a heavenly sky would suffice for this particular play.
"Staging of the York Corpus Christi Plays (PSim 2.1)." Dennis G. Jerz. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://jerz.setonhill.edu/resources/PSim/staging.html>.
CWU Brooks Library - Login from Off Campus. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezp.lib.cwu.edu/views/SEARCH_RESULTS.html?y=0&q=pageant wagons&authstatuscode=202&category=t40&x=0&ssid=63870849&scope=global&time=0.700288969431629>.
"Pageant Wagon (vehicle) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/438245/pageant-wagon>.
"Medieval Theatre: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article." AbsoluteAstronomy.com. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Medieval_theatre>.
The Wagons were a decorated wheeled platform which the actors performed on. They were small, about 8 feet by 12 feet. Some of the wagon had special effects as well, such as trap doors and rope-pulley systems. There were also wagons that had a separate scaffolding that could be attached to the wagon to allow another level of acting space.
"Staging of the York Corpus Christi Plays (PSim 2.1)." Dennis G. Jerz. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://jerz.setonhill.edu/resources/PSim/staging.html>.
CWU Brooks Library - Login from Off Campus. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezp.lib.cwu.edu/views/SEARCH_RESULTS.html?y=0&q=pageant wagons&authstatuscode=202&category=t40&x=0&ssid=63870849&scope=global&time=0.700288969431629>.
"Pageant Wagon (vehicle) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/438245/pageant-wagon>.
"Medieval Theatre: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article." AbsoluteAstronomy.com. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Medieval_theatre>.
The ORO definition of Noah and the Ark
Noah:
The son of Lamech, and the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah was the hero of the biblical Flood narrative and the first vintner. After observing the corruption of all creation, God determined to cleanse and purify the earth through a flood. Noah, however, found favor with God, and he, together with his family and the seed of all living creatures, entered the ark and survived the deluge. From them the earth was then repopulated.
In many respects Noah was a second Adam. The genealogy of Genesis 5 makes his birth the first after the death of the progenitor of humanity. Like Adam, all people are his descendants. God's first command to the primordial pair to “be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth” (Gen. 1.28) is echoed in God's first command to Noah and his sons after the Flood.
Noah has traditionally been viewed as an exemplary righteous person in extensive postbiblical Jewish, Christian, and Muslim literature. However, the phrase “righteous in his generation” has also been interpreted to mean that at any other time Noah's righteousness would not have been viewed as extraordinary (b. Sanh. 108a).
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
The main idea to remember when analyzing the character of Noah is that he was chosen by God to be the only family to survive the flood because of his righteousness. God saw Noah as the best suited to repopulate the earth and lead humankind on the right path. Thus Noah should be acknowledged and highlighted as a central and prominent character and portrayed as the example to all humankind.
"Noah's Ark" A Dictionary of British Place-Names. A. D. Mills. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 3 December 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t40.e9845>
Further Reading
Lay Performances of Work and Salvation in the York Cycle
The above link is to a scholarly article that deals with the York Cycle and some of its deeper meanings. It uses "The Building of the Ark" as an example to support its claim that the pageant plays were to show how "good work" was the way to earn salvation and to ensure you would arrive in Heaven.
"In exchange for his work, Noah is promised deliverance from physical pain and spiritual death. At this moment, the play becomes an encomium to labor. Work is God’s gift that rejuvenates its receiver. Noah’s work earns his rescue on earth and redemption in heaven; it is symbolic of the good works that Christians perform to earn their salvation" (Boboc, p. 251).
It is important to understand the deeper meanings behind the author's choices when writing the scripts so that they can be conveyed properly to the audiences. Therefore in this particular play, the audience should leave the show knowing that their good works, be it physical work like doing their jobs or mental work of giving good thoughts to others, would secure them a place in God's graces.
Boboc, Andreea. "Lay Performances of Work and Salvation in the York Cycle." Comparative Drama 43.2 (2009): 247-71. Web.
The above link is to a scholarly article that deals with the York Cycle and some of its deeper meanings. It uses "The Building of the Ark" as an example to support its claim that the pageant plays were to show how "good work" was the way to earn salvation and to ensure you would arrive in Heaven.
"In exchange for his work, Noah is promised deliverance from physical pain and spiritual death. At this moment, the play becomes an encomium to labor. Work is God’s gift that rejuvenates its receiver. Noah’s work earns his rescue on earth and redemption in heaven; it is symbolic of the good works that Christians perform to earn their salvation" (Boboc, p. 251).
It is important to understand the deeper meanings behind the author's choices when writing the scripts so that they can be conveyed properly to the audiences. Therefore in this particular play, the audience should leave the show knowing that their good works, be it physical work like doing their jobs or mental work of giving good thoughts to others, would secure them a place in God's graces.
Boboc, Andreea. "Lay Performances of Work and Salvation in the York Cycle." Comparative Drama 43.2 (2009): 247-71. Web.
"The Building of The Ark" -the play
I chose to write a dramaturgical blog on the York Cycle play, "The Building of the Ark," mainly because it was one of the only biblical stories that I was familiar with and could therefore understand. The script itself is a little hard to understand due to the Latin phrases and the old English writing, but after deciphering some of the language, the story itself is easily identifiable.
The Script
This particular pageant play was put on by the Shipwrights Guild of Medieval York. Some of the script reveals the Shipwright's influence on the pageant itself. For instance, Noah uses some terms specifically related to the Shipwrights skill.
Ex) Lines: 98-104
Noah: Now bud it be all inlike thin,
So that it neither twin nor twine.
Thus shall I join it with a gin
And sadly set it with simmon fine: Thus shall I work it both more and min
Through teaching of God, master mine.
Translation:
Now must it be all equally thin,
So that it neither twin or warp
Thus shall I join it with a tool
And carefully secure it with good cement
Thus shall I work in every respect
Through teaching of God, my master.
This is just one of the sections of the script that talks of the proper way to build a ship and uses technical terms of the era for the Shipwrights.
These reflections back to the Shipwrights should be carefully noted when choosing to put on this particular production because the Shipwrights would have wanted to not only portray the biblical story of Noah, but to also advertise their craft.
Beadle, Richard, and Pamela M. King. York Mystery Plays: a Selection in Modern Spelling. Oxford [Oxfordshire: Clarendon, 1984. Print.
Scoville, Chester N., and Kimberley M. Yates. "The York Plays." Blackboard Learn. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <https://courses.cwu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_4_1&url=/webapps/blackboard/execute/launcher?type=Course&id=_56297_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2FdisplayIndividualContent%3Fmode%3Dview%26content_id%3D_1030773_1%26course_id%3D_56297_1>.
The Script
This particular pageant play was put on by the Shipwrights Guild of Medieval York. Some of the script reveals the Shipwright's influence on the pageant itself. For instance, Noah uses some terms specifically related to the Shipwrights skill.
Ex) Lines: 98-104
Noah: Now bud it be all inlike thin,
So that it neither twin nor twine.
Thus shall I join it with a gin
And sadly set it with simmon fine: Thus shall I work it both more and min
Through teaching of God, master mine.
Translation:
Now must it be all equally thin,
So that it neither twin or warp
Thus shall I join it with a tool
And carefully secure it with good cement
Thus shall I work in every respect
Through teaching of God, my master.
This is just one of the sections of the script that talks of the proper way to build a ship and uses technical terms of the era for the Shipwrights.
These reflections back to the Shipwrights should be carefully noted when choosing to put on this particular production because the Shipwrights would have wanted to not only portray the biblical story of Noah, but to also advertise their craft.
Beadle, Richard, and Pamela M. King. York Mystery Plays: a Selection in Modern Spelling. Oxford [Oxfordshire: Clarendon, 1984. Print.
Scoville, Chester N., and Kimberley M. Yates. "The York Plays." Blackboard Learn. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <https://courses.cwu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_4_1&url=/webapps/blackboard/execute/launcher?type=Course&id=_56297_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2FdisplayIndividualContent%3Fmode%3Dview%26content_id%3D_1030773_1%26course_id%3D_56297_1>.
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