Mystery Play

History

Mystery Plays originated in the Middle Ages, during the twelfth century, from the lack of interest from the churchgoers in the typical church services and their ignorance of the Latin language. This problem prompted the elaboration of certain services. It began with subtle changes to the services for religious holidays such as Easter and Good Friday, that involved bringing down the cross for all to see; and expanded to the Christmas service with the scene of Christ's birth in the manger. One of the first liturgical performances was Quem Quaeritis ("Whom Seek Ye") in 925.  As the theatricals became more popular they were moved out of the church to accommodate the growing audience. During the thirteenth century Mystery plays gained less support from religious figures due to their questionable religious values, they started to be performed in the vernacular and were starting to drift away from being performed in the church. Once this happened and the performances were free from the church the strong religious themes started to disappear. In 1210 A.D. there was a ban of Mystery Plays by Pope Innocent III, which caused the plays began to performed in small town guilds, this act officially cut ties between the plays and the church and they were exclusively performed by town-guilds. With an ever growing audience to please, the town-guilds found that a perfect opportunity to showcase their works with the introduction of the Corpus Christi festival, in 1311, that takes place 57 days after Easter. The performances were grouped together and consisted of plays such as, Noah and the Flood, and The Creation of the World and the Fall of Adam. From these small groups came the four most prominent collections of mystery plays, the York cycle with 48 pageants, the Towneley plays with 32 pageants, the Chester cycle with 24 pageants, and the Wakefield (N-town) plays with 42 pageants. The term "Mystery" did not come from our term and the way it is used in present day. It was derived from the Latin word ministerium, meaning an association of clergy from different religious groups. This was the term used to describe the guilds which performed these plays, which is why is was used to name to describe the actual plays being performed.

Characteristics

Mystery plays were dramatizations of both the Old and New Testament miracles. Another popular topic was Christ and his crucifixion and resurrection. In the beginning of the popularity of Mystery plays the parts in the performance were played by clergymen and other members of the church. During their peak, Mystery plays were moved out of the church and performed on wagons and moved about the different towns. Due to the separation from the church the plays tended to have more of sarcastic tone to them and sometimes even went as far as mocking priests and monks, the people who had a big part in the creation of the plays. Another change that came with the separation of the church was the switch from clergymen as performers to members of guilds and craftsman. A huge aspect of Mystery plays was that they neglected to utilize the three unities; place, time, and action. Because of this the plays could represent any location or time and were not tied down by each story they were performing and could pose two time periods or locations together that are not cohesive. Also they did not limit their performances, they used technologies, such as trap doors and mechanisms to create the illusion of flying, to get the realest effect and please the audience.

One of the most widely known Mystery plays is The Second Shepherd's Play, which puts three shepherds at the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. It emphasizes the everyday life during the middle ages and juxtaposes the shepherd's story with that of Christ's, setting the secular and religious world side by side.

Source: https://britlitwiki.wikispaces.com/Mystery+and+Morality+Plays

Guidelines

1. Must dramatize a miraculous event or events from the Bible.

2. Must violate the constraints of place, time, and action. 

                              A. Should be set in the Medieval Era

                              B. Should mix aspects of a Bible story together with Medieval folk-tale elements or another Biblical story into one  larger narrative. 

                              C. Should integrate stock Medieval characters and their concerns into the Biblical drama. 

3. Must include a 'miracle' on stage, that uses slight of hand, illusion, etc. to make the miracle come to life. 

4. Should be between 3 and 15 pages. 

5. Students should provide scripts for their actors and props/costumes (these can be as simple as sheets, etc.) 

6. Guilds typically produced mystery plays. Choose a guild and imagine what stories might have appealed to that guild. Subtly work your chosen guild's specialty into the storyline. 

Guild List: Masons, Carpenters, Painters, Cloth Makers, Tanners, Bakers, Shoemakers, and Apothecaries

Stock characters: These characters may be added to the Biblical story you are using as your base. The Biblical account may also be altered to include these characters 'playing' the roles of actual characters from the Bible. (For example: The Cain could be Herod)

The Garcio: The Garcio is a poor, young peasant at the bottom of the medieval social hierarchy. He complains of being hungry and of not receiving his wages. The Garcio is often a figure of humor and social critique in his plays. He stands between the  play's and the audience's worlds and between biblical and contemporary medieval time, which permits him to be a commentator on the plays’ action.

The Cain: The Cain is a wicked plotter whose goals are deeply anti-social, but who covers his/her evil plans with the appearance of kindness and generosity.

The Alewife: The Alewife is a female character who changes her mind frequently, who is easily persuaded, and who makes ridiculous financial and romantic decisions. She is often portrayed as an innkeeper or brewster.

The Corrupt Priest: The Corrupt Priest (or Monk) is a cleric who seeks to move beyond their station in life by getting involved in politics or intrigue. They will often bribe or be bribed as they seek to move up in the world.

The Good Lady: The Good Lady will personify virtue as a peacemaker or a sharer of wisdom. She will often be portrayed as a captive, a noblewoman, or a nun.