THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE SPACE IN CHURCH DRAMA -

THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE SPACE IN CHURCH DRAMA -

The dramatic interludes in the liturgy move out of the church and onto the porch where they begin to be public plays. There are two areas involved in the stage delineation of the performance space:

First - the mansions*, seales, loci, or domi - these are small structures establishing the location of the scenes -

Second - the platea* or place - this is a neutral open space adjoining the mansion with as much room as the actors need for their action.

There are as many mansions as needed for the dramatization and the actors move into and out of the platea when they want to establish a new locale.

1264 - Remember those Roman triumphs, with all the booty paraded along the streets in elaborate wagons? Well, now that cities are getting bigger, they need a lot of mansions for their plays. They start using Wagons* in the Corpus Christi* productions when they want to bring the show to the audience, instead of the audience to the show. These wagons (or carts) show up now in Spain, for the auto sacremental*, where a platform (called a roca) is carried around by a bunch of men. These are soon put on wagons (called carro*). The thing carries a tableau (a bunch of people in a pose) and when it's set down, or stops moving, the tableau swings into action and the play begins. This will remain the done thing in Spain for centuries.

This wagon business is popular in England as well. More about these later as they become more sophisticated and widespread.

1266 Over in China* Kublai Khan* receives two Venetian merchants, Niccolo and Matteo Polo.

1270 Louis* dies on an expedition to Africa to bring Christianity to Tunis. With his death, the heart goes out of the crusading business and the Age of Great Crusades is over.

1271 Marco Polo*, a merchant from Italy ( relative of the earlier Polos), journeys to China. 1272 In England Edward I* becomes king. 1274 In China Kublai Khan* tries to conquer Japan and fails. 1275 Marco Polo* stays on in the service of Kublai Khan* in China for 17 years and writes A

Description of the World.. 1276 In Spain, the King of Castile and Leon, Alfonso the Wise*,sets up a school to translate

Arab texts into Latin. He also updates star tables and produces Alfonsine tables which will Arab texts into Latin. He also updates star tables and produces Alfonsine tables which will

c. 1276 - The earliest known secular play The Play of The Greenwood* by Adam de la Halle*, appears. It deals with peasants and supernatural events.

1277 Roger Bacon* imprisoned for heresy. The viewpoint of the church is that understanding can come only through belief. The new view, (and Bacon's view), is that belief can come only through understanding. Obviously the church is going to have problems with this new view.

1280 Technological advances appear, the spinning wheel, and a paper mill in Italy. Albertus Magnus*, a German philosopher and scientist dies. He is later associated with

alchemy and magic. 1283 The Teutonic Knights* finish subjugating Prussia. From here on out it is their territory

and they are based there.

c. 1283 - Adam de la Halle comes up with another secular play, The Play of Robin and Marion*.

1284 This is the time of the "Pied Piper of Hamelin." 1290 Now that the Teutonic Knights* have things under control, the colonization of Prussia

begins by German colonists from northern Germany. The Knights carry on a large and lucrative trade. They have their own fleet in the Baltic. Also, they are very firm about Christian rule for Christian subjects, the rule is no Jews. [We will find these teutonic views reappearing at regular intervals, culminating in the wars of the 20th century.]

In the late 1200's we find the earliest example of a type of drama peculiar to the Low Countries. It's called the Chambers of Rhetoric*. The first one we know of is the Flemish The Boy and the Blind Man*. These start spreading in the 1300's as societies concerned with poetry, music and drama. They specialize in allegorical drama.

1291 More technological advances, this time it is a terrific advance for scholars, a leap forward in optics, spectacles (reading glasses) become available.

The Teutonic knights abandon their old stronghold of Holyband and move their activities to the Baltic where they exterminate the heathen Slavs and replace them with god-fearing German farmers.

1297 The Teutonic Knights* are battling the Rigans and those guys ask help from the Lithuanians.

1298 Louis* is canonized as St. Louis*. 1298 - Plays are given as part of the victory pageant celebrating Edward I*'s victory over the

Scots. These are usually allegorical or historical and are done in pantomime* including tableaux vivants* (living tableaus.)

1299 In that argument between the Teutonic Knights* and the Rigans, the Pope judges the dispute. He declares the Teutonic Knights* guilty of barbarous acts (this will remain typical of these guys and their descendants).

The Little Ice Age Begins