The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-20
MIRACLE PLAY AT YALE.
A Fifteenth Century Dramatic Performa nee
to BE Given by students.

NEW HAVEN. May l9-Final preparations for
the play which Is TO be given by the Yale ORA
matte Association on Wednesday night next In
the Hyperion Theatre in this city have just
been completed. For the past two weeks
nightly rehearsals have been held under the
direction OF Frank Lea Short of the American
Academy OF Dramatic Arts. who has had charge
OF the presentation OF the play.
When the Yale Dramatic Association was
organized last February the consent Of the
faculty was obtained only on condition that
any play presented should be OF a classical
nature. After a great deal Of research the
association decided TO present a fifteenth CEN
fury miracle play. namely. the Third Shep-
herd Play" one Of the old English dramas OF
the Towneley cycle which were in vogue a
hundred years before the time Of Shakes
peare. The presentation Of such a play
necessitated a great amount OF study. rs
il was determined from the start that
It should be historically accurate even to the
smallest detail. In the last four hundred years
the PLAY had been presented Just twice; once by
a company Of scholars at Dinard In France. and
again at the Empire Theatre in New York.
where It was given by the American Society OF
., ss%ss bS NJ A. s0 dn" ana ls'i ter , RftIf rs.sSn &c. was "a.
ISOLATION has been fortunate in securing him as
coach and director. As to the, play and the
plans for Is psrf9rmancs' Mr, short says; cha
Towneley cycle Of miracle plays. These plays
were a great factor in the creative period
81 EnsIish drama ram furnishing inspiration rat m,n to
other writers of the period The miracle play
was originally. Of a religious nature. being In
fact presented in the churches They became
so popular after a time that the churches were
insufficient to hold the crowd and the plays for
n time were given In the churchyards. But
n DESCRIPTION OF the graves followed, and IN
course OF time the plays came to be presented
on huge carts drawn through the streets;
About this time the clergy ceased to control
members OF various trades guilds. The wheel
wrights, the smiths. &C. As the competition
among the guilds increased the plays became
5oidin sIaS Sn Wheels th' ON %S MbIns ,6 Sa r %a1e ri rSal.
were divided into two stories: the lower was
curtained of and used as a dressing room by
the actors, while the upper served as the stage.
These carts were always dra WIN by twelve men.
! there Is no indication of horses ever having
been used for the purpose.
IAN the music used will be Of the most an
| Gent character, from the period preceding the
PaleStrina We have spent u great deal Of time
ransacking the libraries of New York in search
been fairly successful. All the other details
pertaining to costume, language. &c.. We have
taken the greatest aims to arrange with all
possible historical accuracy.
In the Third shepherd Play" the curtain
rises on an old English street on n feast day. A
crowd Of townspeople u seen craftsmen. ballad
mong.rs, flower girls, &c, while in one corner a
crowd Of men at n table are throwing dice. The
whole crowd is represented ,ns waiting for a
miracle play which b expected 10 arrive shortly.
After n time n herald announces that the pag-
cant Is coming and n moment later the great
car, nearly fifteen feet in length, IL dragged on
the Stage by twelve townspeople. The
pageant halts before the audience on the
stage and the play begins Immediately.
The first part Of the performance is in the
She phsrds. q sheep stealer Max and his wife
GM There l. a great deal Of boisterons. talk
and Joking both among the real actors and the
supposed audience on the stage, and the farci-
cal part of the drama ends with the tossing Of
the sheep stealer in n blanket Then suddenly
the nature OF the play entirely changed, An
angel appears before the Shepherds and an
nominees 10 them the birth Of Christ. The men
are struck with awe. and procuring presents