Theatre and Religion: The Antique and Medieval Periods

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how although both religious drama in Ancient Greece and Medieval England stage dramatic performances around religious festivals, the antique and medieval periods are characterised by radically different scenic conventions. It compares the English "mystery plays" centered around the Feast of Corpus Christi with the Greek mystery plays from the previous millennium which were also based around religious festivals.

From the Paper:

"The audience would watch from the theatron, a tiered seating area set into the side of the hill with large seating capacities. This brings us to the question of audience experience: how would someone fifty rows up experience the action taking place in the orchestra or on the skena? The first matter is that of acoustics; the structure of the theatre provides for sound to travel to the uppermost rows, ensuring that the audience does not miss the dialogue wherever they sit. Brightly colored costumes, as well as large masks, allow the audience to track the characters easily from large distances, and to tell the difference when the same actor plays multiple characters. "

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