CHERYL FROST EVERYMAN in PERFORMANCE Although
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CHERYL FROST EVERYMANEVER YMAN ININ PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE Although Everyman isis not at allall representativerepresentative of of the the English English morality morality plays, it it nevertheless nevertheless occurs occurs frequently frequently as aas part a partof tertiary of tertiary courses courses of medi- of medi- aeval studies,studies, and and even even in generalizedin generalized studies studies of English of English literature. literature. Often, Often, inin fact,fact, it it constitutes constitutes a student'sa student's only only sample sample of mediaeval of mediaeval and Renaissance and Renaissance drama. The The people people who who set set the the courses courses are justifiedare justified in this in choice this choice of text of text on philosophicalphilosophical grounds, grounds, since since Everyman raisesraises the the two two fundamental fundamental human problems—of problems—of death death and and aloneness. aloneness. (It is (Itprobably is probably less important less important that somesome will will now now judge judge the the playwright's playwright's solution solution to these to these problems problems to be to be simplistic, inadequate inadequate or orunbelievable.) unbelievable.) The The many many modern modern productions productions prove thatthat Everyman isis rightlyrightly selected selected for for special special study study on ondramatic dramatic grounds as as well, well. It Itis is pre-eminently pre-eminently a work a work which which shines shines in performance. in performance. The aimaim of of this this essay essay is tois analyseto analyse the thedramatic dramatic excellence excellence of Every- of man from thethe differingdiffering viewpoints viewpoints of ofthe the director director and and actors actors and andof the of the audience. As As far far as as possible, possible, discussion discussion will bewill limited be limited to the to earliest the earliest per- per- formances, beginning beginning with with an anattempt attempt to determine to determine the auspices the auspices and set. and set. The intentionintention is is to to comment comment on on the the text text which which the theplaywright playwright left to left be to be performed by by his his contemporaries contemporaries and and immediate immediate successors. successors. The availableavailable evidence evidence suggests suggests that thatEverymanEve,yman was translatedtranslated from from the DutchDutch play,play, E/ckerlijc, inin 1519,1519, or or a a few few years years earlier.' earlier.' Whether Whether this this view isis accepted, accepted, or or whether whether the the argument argument for the for precedence the precedence of . EverymanEveiyman of and forfor the the traditional traditional dating dating of betweenof between 1480 1480 and and1500 1500 is preferred, is preferred, does does not affectaffect the the conclusion conclusion that, that, when when Everyman was firstfirst written,written, the the con- con- ditions forfor staging staging plays plays in inEngland England were were extremely extremely diversified, diversified, just as just they as they are today.today. It It is, is, however, however, possible possible to isolateto isolate two twomajor major staging staging conventions, conventions, which havehave already already been been described described by writersby writers such such as Glynne as Glynne Wickham Wickham2 and DavidDavid Bevington Bevington3 :: therethere were were small small professional professional travelling travellingeompanies companies who performedperformed on on single single playing playing areas, areas, usually usually indoors, indoors, and there and therewere were largerlarger companies, companies, apparently apparently made made up mainlyup mainly of amateurs, of amateurs, who performedwho performed on detacheddetached or or multiple multiple stages, stages, usually usually out ofout doors. of doors. Between 1460 1460 and and 1520, 1520, as asBevington Bevington has haspointed pointed out4,, outthethe pro-pro- fessional companies companies entertained entertained both both elite elite and popularand popular audiences. audiences. They in- They in- cluded in in their their repertoires repertoires purely purely popular popular plays, plays, such such as Mankind, as The The WorldWorld and and the the Child, Child, Youth Youth and Hyckescorner; humanist or or scholarly scholarly plays plays suitable also also for for popular popular performance, performance, such such as Henry as Henry Medwall's Medwall's Nature, John Rastell'sRastell's TheThe NatureNature ofof the the Four ,Four Elements, Elements, and JohnJohn Heywood's Heywood's tri- tri- logy—Thelogy—The Four Four P's, P's, Johan Johan Johan Jo/ian the the Husband. Husband. .. ,. and. , Witty Witty andand Witless; Witless; and courtlycourtly plays plays with with popular popular features, features, such such as Medwall's as Medwall's Fulgens and and Lucres and JohnJohn Skelton's Skelton's Magnificence. The playsplays of of the the professional professional companies are are characterized characterized above above all by all small by small casts, casts, never nevermore than more six, than six, and inin one one instance, instance, TheThe WorldWorld and and the the Child, Child, as few asas two.two. Sometimes, Sometimes, 39 as inin Nature and Magnificence, this economizingeconomizing in in actors actors was was achieved achieved by by extensive doubling. doubling. Although Although Wickham Wickham argues argues the oppositethe opposite s5 ,, lengthlength ofof performance does does not not seem seem to haveto have been been a primary a primary feature feature distinguishing distinguishing single setset productions productions ("interludes") ("interludes") from from those those on multiple on multiple stages. stages. Some Some interludes,interludes, for for example example those those by byMedwal Medwall, I, are are quite quite long, long, while while some some mul- mul- tiple-stage plays plays are are quite quite short. short. Most Most of the of theplays playsintended ntended for the for small the small troupes include include robust robust or bawdyor bawdy comic comic scenes, scenes,hich which were were probably probably in- in- spired inin part part by by the the professional professional players' players' need need to maintain to maintain audience audience num- num- bers. Of thethe plays plays suitable suitable for for performance performance on separate on separate stages, stages, TheThe CastleCastle of Perseverance of Perseverance (1400-1425) is thethe best best known. known. It wasIt was preceded preceded by TheTheby Pride of Life (c.(c. 1350)1350) and followed,followed, at at the the end end of of the the fifteenth fifteenth century century or or the beginningbeginning of of the the sixteenth, sixteenth, by bythe the multiple-stage multiple-stage plays plays of the of Digby the Digby manuscript, The Killing of the Children, Mary Magdalene and TheThe Conver-Conver- sion of Saint Paul. Productions using using separate separate stages stages were were much much more moreelaborate elaborate than than those onon single single sets. sets. There There seem seem to have to have been been no firm no limits firm onlimits the onsize the of size of the casts,casts, and and opportunities opportunities for for doubling doubling were were not cultivated.not cultivated. Complicated Complicated staging and and effects effects were were usual. usual. MaryMéry Magdalene, for instance,instance, required required thir- thir- teen scaffolds,scaffolds, two two of of which which went went up upin flames,in flames, and anda ship, a ship, which which circum- circum- navigated the playing area three times. navigated the playing area three times.TheThe ConversionConversion ofof SaintSaint PaulPaul hashas stage directionsdirections which which read: read: Here comethcometh a afervent fervent with with great great tempest, tempest, and andSaul Saul falleth falleth down down off off his horse;horse;that that done, done, Godhead Godhead speaketh speaketh in heaven. in heaven. (at(at 1.182)1.182) and Here thethe Holy Holy Spirit Spirit [in [in the the form form of ofa dove]a dove] appears appears above above him. him. (at(at 1.291)1.291) Comedy is is a aless less pervasive pervasive feature feature of detached-stage of detached-stage plays playsthan it thanis of, it is of single-set productions. single-set productions.TheThe Pride of Life, with nono comic comic scenes scenes or orcharac- charac- ters, establishedestablished this this pattern pattern early. early. Of theOf thetwo twolongest longest extant extant multiple-stage multiple-stage plays, there there are are few few comic comic scenes scenes in in TheThe CastleCastle ofof PerseverancePerseverance and onlyonly one inin Mary Magdalene. The twotwo shorter shorter plays plays of theof the Digby Digby manuscript— manuscript- TheThe ConversionConversion of Saint Paul and TheThe KillingKilling ofof thethe Children—each con- tains onlyonly one one comic comic scene. scene. Beyond this, this, it itis isdifficult difficult to to generalise generalise about about the the staging staging of plays of plays in- in- tended for for multiple multiple sets. sets. Their Their elaborateness elaborateness and large and castslarge suggest casts suggest that that they hadhad at at their their disposal disposal the the resources resources of the of tradethe trade guilds guilds in the in provincial the provincial cities, andand that that their their staging staging was was a development a devetopment from fromthat