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Definition
| (100 BCE-476 CE) when traditional Roman fare like circuses, spectacles and mime returned to the forefront of the entertainment scene |
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| Religious Entertainment (Byzantine) |
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Definition
| (pre-240 BCE) when native Italian drama, such as Atellan farces, phlyaces and Fescennine verses, dominated the Roman stage |
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| Scholarly Entertainment(Byzantine) |
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Definition
| (240 BCE - ca. 100 BCE), when the Romans primarily adapted classical and post-classical Greek plays; |
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Term
| Hippodrome (Byzantine, theater space) |
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Definition
| (in ancient Greece or Rome) a course for chariot or horse races. |
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Term
| Shadow Puppets (Byzantine) |
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Definition
| connection to Ancient New Comedy and a possible Byzantine Shadow stage.If technology allows the hidden layer to be revealed without damaging the current face of these palimpsests then we will be able to understand Byzantine theatrical practices better. We may even have a glimpse into cultural resistance under two totalitarian regimes. |
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Term
| Passion plays (Medieval, liturgical drama) |
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Definition
| religious drama of medieval origin dealing with the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Christ. |
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| Cycle plays (Medieval, liturgical drama) |
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Definition
| Plays were given in one day, group of plays authored by the same person that are connected with each other by having the same continuing idea |
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Term
| Morality plays (Medieval) |
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Definition
| genre of Medieval and early Tudor theatrical entertainment. In their own time, these plays were known as interludes, a broader term given to dramas with or without a moral.[1] Morality plays are a type of allegory in which the protagonist is met by personifications of various moral attributes who try to prompt him to choose a Godly life over one of evil. |
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Term
| The york cycle (Medieval) |
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Definition
| Middle English cycle of forty-eight mystery plays, or pageants, which cover sacred history from the creation to the Last Judgement. |
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Term
| Quem Queritis(festivals/celebrations) |
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Definition
| (Latin for "Whom do you seek?") refers to four lines of the medieval Easter liturgy that later formed the kernel of the large body of medieval liturgical drama, which is also known as Visitatio sepulchri ("Visit to the tomb") |
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Term
| Feast of Fools (festivals/celebrations) |
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Definition
| name given to a specific feast day celebrated by the clergy in Europe, initially in Northern France, but later more widely. Its later reception history has considerably obscured modern understandings of the nature and meaning of this celebration, which originated in proper liturgical observance, and has more to do with other examples of medieval liturgical drama than with either the earlier pagan (Roman) feasts of Saturnalia and Kalends or the later bourgeois lay sotie.[1] |
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Term
| Medieval presentation style |
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Definition
| Medieval plays focus on religion and dramatic acting styles. Some plays were virtually operas, sang |
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Term
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Definition
| stage for theatrical performances. They originated in churches where they were small wooden platforms with supports and a roof. Mansions were stage structures used in medieval theatre to represent specific locations, such as Heaven or Hell. The actors would move between these mansions as the play demanded. The acting area of the stage was called the platea, and mansions were placed around the platea. As the actors moved between the mansions, the platea would take on the scenic identity of each mansion |
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Term
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Definition
| movable stage or cart used to accommodate the mystery and miracle play cycles of the 10th through the 16th Century. These religious plays were developed from biblical texts and they reached the height of their popularity in the 15th century before being rendered obsolete by the rise of professional theatre. |
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Definition
| Directors emerged to handle the sometimes large numbers of actors, special effects, and money that would be put into productions. Sometimes a committee of overseers was put together to stage productions. These overseers would have duties such as directing the erection of the stage, constructing seating for the audience, casting and rehearsing the actors, working with actors on refining roles, assigning people to take up money at the door, and addressing the audience at the beginning and end of the play. |
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Term
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Definition
| Actors and the number needed changed for each play. For instance, the cycle plays needed as many as 300 actors. Most actors were found in the local area where directors would hold auditions. Most of the time the actors were boys or men, but in France women were occasionally allowed to act. Often an actor would have multiple roles in a show. |
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Term
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Definition
| Medieval women costumes also had long robes that had a flow full skirt which touched the ground. Women were not allowed to show bear legs, although revealing the chest was popular, since it proved womanliness. their costumes contained robes, something that was very commonly used throughout Medieval theatre. In addition, skirts started to appear on men more than women, as they were usually short, above 3 inches of the knee. Chains and swords were used commonly as well. |
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Term
| Special Effects (Medieval) |
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Definition
| The Mouth of Hell belched forth flames and smoke when required. At Mons, the flight of the dove from Noah's ark was brilliantly managed. In the Bible, the dove is set loose to look for land, but returns to the ark. The second time it returns with a sprig of olive. The third time it flies off and does not come back. In the play, a live dove was released then retrieved by a string. For its second flight it was released with no tether, and a model dove then lowered on a wire from 'Heaven' (behind a cut-out cloud) with the tell tale sprig in its beak. For the third flight another live dove was released. |
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Term
| Decline of Medieval theater |
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Definition
| Its death was due mostly to changing political and economic factors. First, the Protestant Reformation targeted the theatre, especially in England, in an effort to stamp out allegiance to Rome. In Wakefield, for example, the local mystery cycle text shows signs of Protestant editing, with references to the pope crossed out and two plays completely eliminated because they were too Catholic. However, it was not just the Protestants who attacked the theatre of the time. The Council of Trent banned religious plays in an attempt to rein in the extrabiblical material that the Protestants frequently lampooned.A revival of interest in ancient Roman and Greek culture changed the tastes of the learned classes in the performing arts. Greek and Roman plays were performed and new plays were written that were heavily influenced by the Classical style. This led to the creation of Commedia dell'arte and other forms of Renaissance theatre. |
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