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925
Theatre Returns to Churches
After theatre mostly vanished from Europe, it started coming back in church services. The clergy had realized that drama could help teach religious stories to people that did not know how to read, so they added short performances to church ceremonies. A short play called the Quem Quaeritis trope, about Jesus rising from the dead, was performed by monks (Brockett Hildy, 56). This was important because it helped theatre survive and grow again. -
935
Hrosvitha of Gandersheim
Hrosvitha was a nun and the first known female playwright. She rewrote Roman comedies but made them more Christian-friendly. Unlike the original Roman plays, which were typically focused on lust and deception, Hrosvithia’s plays emphasized faith and virtue. Her work was important because it kept theatre alive and showed that women could write plays too, this challenged the idea that only men could write plays at the time (Wilson Goldfarb 120). -
1200
Plays in Every Language
At first, church plays were in Latin, which most people didn’t understand. Over time, plays started being performed in local languages, like English, French, and German, which engaged more viewers. They even started using folklore, making them more relatable. This change made theatre more popular and easier for people to enjoy (Brockett Hildy, 78). -
1200
The Feast of Fools
This was a festival where lower-ranking church members performed funny plays that made fun of religious leaders. Also, this allowed for more freedom for people to express themselves, performers could use satire without facing punishment. It was important because it added comedy and everyday life into theatre, leading to more secular (non-religious) plays later (Chambers, 198). -
1300
Pageant Wagons
Instead of performing in one place, actors used wagons as moving stages. This let them travel and perform for more people. It was important because it made theatre bigger and more accessible (Wilson Goldfarb, 132). -
1400
The Second Shepard’s Play
An unknown writer called the Wakefield Master wrote funny and creative plays, including The Second Shepherds’ Play. His work was important because it mixed humor with religious stories, making them more entertaining (Brockett Hildy, 102). -
1400
Morality Plays
Morality plays taught people how to live good lives. The most famous one, Everyman, showed a man preparing for death and learning what really matters. These plays were important because they shaped storytelling for later theatre (Wilson Goldfarb, 145). -
1400
Secular Plays become Popular
More plays focused on everyday life, comedy, and social issues instead of just religious stories. These plays were important because they led to the development of modern theatre (Wilson Goldfarb, 150). -
1400
Guilds Take Over
Townspeople and worker groups called guilds started performing plays, instead of just the church. This was important because it made theatre more of a community event and less controlled by religious leaders (Brockett Hildy, 98). -
1500
Medieval Plays Decline
As the Renaissance started, religious plays became less popular. Some governments even banned them. This was important because it ended one era of theatre and led to new styles, like Shakespeare’s plays (Brockett Hildy, 110).