Everystudent A Collection of Allegorical Plays In the Style of the Medieval Morality Play “The Summoning of Everyman” By Students of the 2011-12 MYP 10 Drama Class Gyeonggi Suwon International School - 1 - Table of Contents Introduction by Daren Blanck .................................................................. page 3 Seven by Nick Lee and Lyle Lee .................................................................. page 4 Slayers by Mike Lee, Daniel Choi and Eric Cho ......................................... page 9 True Friendship by Yealim Lee and Hannah Seo .................................... page 12 Graduation by Judy Oh and Jaimie Park .................................................. page 16 FC society by JH Hyun and Jacob Son ...................................................... page 19 It’s Just Too Late by Jeeho Oh, Ryan Choi and Jee Eun Kim ................. page 22 The Freedom of Will by Eric Han and Bryan Ahn ................................. page 26 Everystudent Justine Yun, Rick Eum, and Seong Soo Son ...................... page 32 Everystudent by Lilly Kim, Seungyeon Rho, Erin Yoon .......................... page 37 Appendix: The Summoning of Everyman abridged by Leslie Noelani Laurio .... page 39 - 2 - Introduction An allegory is a narrative having a second meaning beneath the surface one - a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning. In an allegory objects, persons, and actions are metaphors or symbols for ideas that lie outside the text. Medieval drama was wrapped in the stories and doctrines of the medieval Christian church. Most plays could be classified as Mystery Plays - plays that told the stories of the Bible, Miracle Plays - plays that told the stories of saints and martyrs, and Morality plays - allegorical works that sought to convey a moral or some doctrine of the church. Everyman is perhaps the most famous of this last category. It was written in the late 1400's. The source for it has not been established, however, a Flemish work entitled Elckerlijc, with the same story and theme, was written about 1495 by Peter van Diest. It is possible that van Diest borrowed his material from Everyman, that both borrowed from an earlier, now lost work, or that the English Everyman was based on van Diest. Everyman portrays a complacent “Everyman” who is informed by “Death” of his approaching end. The play shows the hero's progression from despair and fear of death to a "Christian resignation that is the prelude to redemption." First, Everyman is deserted by his false friends: his casual companions, his kin, and his wealth. He falls back on his Good Deeds, his Strength, his Beauty, his Discretion, and his Knowledge. These assist him in his journey, but at the end, when he must go to the grave, all desert him save his Good Deeds alone. The play makes its grim point that we can take with us from this world nothing that we have received, only what we have given. After reading and analyzing Everyman, students in the MYP 10 Drama class were asked to write an allegorical morality play for middle school kids which would teach them how to overcome obstacles in school or one based upon images and/or moral concerns in the contemporary news. Working individually or in small groups, they were to follow the morality play format, as demonstrated in Everyman, including naming their characters allegorically and identifying a clear moral. As the MYP 10 instructor during the 2011-12 school year at GSIS, the first year of full MYP implementation at our school, I'd like to thank the sophomores for their hard work, steady interest in the history and themes of theatre and drama, and for their patience as we worked within a limited space implementing new curriculum, and a new timetables in our school this year. I hope you have learned much and enjoy this collection. Please note that although the contents of these plays have remained virtually unchanged I have made some minor edits to maintain internal consistency within this collection. Daren Blanck, MS, PGDip GSIS MYP Drama and High School Theatre - 3 - Seven by Nick Lee and Lyle Lee Based on the seven deadly sins The number seven is special to God. It took seven days to create the world. A week has seven days in it. God rested on the seventh day. In ancient Israel, they were to rest on the Sabbath and the seventh day was a commanded day of rest and assembly for worship of God and it was the fourth commandment given. The root word for the number seven in Hebrew means “to be full” or “to be complete.” Seven, being full and complete, means that nothing could be added to it or taken away from it. It is a number of completion and perfection. So if anyone has these particular seven sins, they are in a sense, in a complete state of sin as far as God is concerned. What are these seven, or complete and deadly sins that Solomon warned us about in the Book of Proverbs? Solomon was said to be the wisest man ever to live – except of course Jesus Christ Who is both God and man. Characters Lust (to have an intense desire or need) “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Everystudent has lust with girls. Later on during the school year, Everystudent only sees woman lustfully and sexually. Lust is a female character. Gluttony (excess in eating and drinking) “for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags” (Proverbs 23:21). Everystudent has gluttony with alcohol. Everystudent tries alcohol once and cannot come out from its pleasure. Greed (excessive or reprehensible acquisitiveness) “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more” (Ephesians 4:19). Everystudent is greedy with almost anything and even if he has something, he wants more. Few greedy things Everystudent feels is money, electronic devices, friends, drugs. Laziness (disinclined to activity or exertion: not energetic or vigorous) “The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway” (Proverbs 15:19) Everystudent loses interest in studying and wants to rest the whole time. Wrath (strong vengeful anger or indignation) “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1) Whenever somebody jokes around with Everystudent or disrespects him, Everystudent takes action negatively. Pride (quality or state of being proud - inordinate self esteem) “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). After Everystudent becomes the most popular and the smartest student in the school, he becomes prideful and looks down on other students. At the end, - 4 - even when Everystudent is taken over by the deadly sins, he is still prideful of himself and believes he is the best. He does not take anyone’s device (such as quitting alcohol, and drugs) and ends up in the hospital. But even in the hospital (before he meets the school pastor), he does not listen to anyone and tries to go his way. Envy (painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage) “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:1-2). Envious of the popular kids. He is jealous and wants to be like them. School pastor (The one that leads Everystudent back to Jesus and brings him on the right track.) Almost at the end of Everystudent’s journey due to the greed of drugs, gluttony of alcohol and every other factors, Everystudent is in the hospital close to dying. Then the school pastor comes, talks to him and makes him have faith in Jesus that everlasting happiness and satisfaction does not come from those 7 deadly sins. It may bring happiness and satisfaction temporarily, but everlasting happiness comes from Jesus. The school pastor brings him on the right track and Everystudent is changed. Student1 (Another student in Everystudent’s school) Lust2 and Lust3 (Girls Everystudent comes to see only as objects) Summary A student named Everystudent moves to a new school, and meets seven kids one by one starting from: Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Laziness, Lust, Wrath, Pride. Script Everystudent: This is my first day at school. Envy: Hello there, my name’s envy. Looks like you have no one to talk to. Everystudent: This is my first day. I have to get used to the school all the students here. Envy: I know everyone in this school and having a fun time with them every day. But you are alone. Aren’t you lonely? Everystudent: I want to have friends, too. Why are you making me feel like this? Greed: Ha! That emotion will corrupt you and make you feel miserable. Everystudent: Go away! I will never see you again! Greed: Hey, Everystudent. Everystudent: Hey. How are you doing? - 5 - Greed: You look lonely. Hey, if you want to play, buy a nintendo. Everyone in our class has one. Everystudent: Is that so? (The next day, Everystudent brings a nintendo.) Greed: Hey, you bought one! Let’s play with it. Everystudent: This is really exciting! Greed: Hey, the boy over there has 6 games. Everystudent: I only have one. Greed: Don’t you want more games? It will be much more fun. If we take his games quietly, he will not notice that we took it. Everystudent: Should we? Greed: Yes, then we can have much more fun! Everystudent: Let’s do it.