NEWS
and
DISCUSSION GROUPS
Information about
the
publications, newsletter and
discussion group, all based at the University of Toronto, Canada.
Home page of the group based at the University of Indiana,
listing
subscription information, monthly logs,
course syllabi and other links.
PERFORMANCE
& SET DESIGN
a. Performance
Account - with photographs - of a production by the Medieval Drama
Group of the
University of Dundee.
The home
page of the University of Toronto company that, since 1964,
has
presented some 90 productions (involving 200 individual plays) of
medieval and
early Renaissance drama. Also on the site are
photos
of productions by Poculi Ludique Societas, 1977-1997.
An informative article by Richard Rastall about the staging of
plays
with
pageant wagons from the York Cycle at the University of Leeds and
elsewhere over the last 25 years.
An excellent site presenting information about the
presentation of the
plays in
York that includes video clips. There are also 32
MP3
Audio Files of original music
used in productions.
The pictures on this website were taken during the performance of the
York
Cycle of Mystery Plays in Toronto on June 20, 1998. The performance was
organized
under the auspices of the Poculi Ludique Societas, a society dedicated
to the
preservation and performance of early English drama. The Toronto
performance was the first outdoor processional presentation of the
entire cycle
of 47 surviving plays since the final performance in York in
1569. The event was a useful experiment for theatre historians
interested in
determining whether the entire cycle could be performed processionally
on a
single day. Even more importantly, however, it was also a genuinely
entertaining
and profoundly moving theatrical experience for audience and actors
alike.
This excellent group (based at Groningen in the Netherlands)
presents
exciting versions of medieval Dutch
dramas. The opening is written by one of the joint producers, Femke
Kramer (and
is one of the pages presented by Peter Greenfield, the University of
Puget Sound). There
are photos of the following productions:
Two Plays from the York
Cycle annotated for performance
Based on their experience of performing
these plays, students of Peter Greenfield at the University of Puget
Sound
have produced an interesting annotated text of:
- The
Fall
of Man;
- Joseph's
Troubles about Mary
This highly recommended resource provides a treasure-trove of
information about
the staging and performance of the York Cycle.
- The
Staging of the York Corpus Christi Plays
- Religious,
Political, Economic and Artistic Contexts
- Origin
and History of the York Corpus Christi Play
- Glossary
of Terms: Medieval Religious Drama
- Pageant
Simulator
(computer software that models the motion of pageant wagons during a
simulated
York Corpus Christi Pageant)
This important site has been produced by
Dennis G. Jerz.
b.
Set Design
Part of an interesting article
on 'Medieval Writing', written by Dr
Dianne Tillotson, this page includes several illustrations, including
the one on the left, of a Passion Play presented in Valenciennes in
1547.
A useful, albeit small collection of engravings.
Medieval Illustration of Tents and
Pavilions (which, as the
illustration above shows, had much in common with stationary medieval
theatrical sets)
- A
Royal Medieval Pavilion and a Modern Reconstruction Using as
a model an illustration in King Rene d'Anjou's
'Book of Love', Stephen Bloch and Deborah Peters built their own
medieval
pavilion.
- Building
a Period Pavilion An excellent article with detailed plans
written by Elizabeth Cook for
'Cariadoc's Miscellany'.
PROPS
& MAKE-UP
a. Props
A most
useful collection,
compiled by Donna Hrynkiw, of many illustrations (arranged according to
period
and type) and several interesting, illustrated articles.
b. Make-Up
Jon Cardone of the Yale School of Drama describes the making
of
lightweight
theatrical masks using buckram applied to a cast of the actor's face.
Any suggestions or
comments? Please write
to me: 
