Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-20
MYSTERY PLAYS.
History Of the Chester Cycle, Which ID
to Be Reproduced.

From the Guardian -
The proposal TO reproduce in the city Of
chester next year the whole OF the Chester
cycle OF mystery plays will no doubt give
rise to many questions as to the origin ana
purpose OF these performances In soma
measure the general public has been pre.
pared Tor such a proposal by the revival Of
the morality plays "Everyman," THE In
terlude OF Youth" and others We use thu
term mystery play designedly in prefer,'
ance to miracle play" because It morA
fifty describes the Chester series, though Dr5
Bridge. competent authority. tells us thai
the only title used in old England was thu
miracle play. The mystery play had fos
Its basis the great truths OF our religion as
the creation, the fall. the nativity the pas
sion and resurrection. The miracle play
was more concerned with the legends Of
saints, while the morality play dealt with
allegorical representations OF the virtues
MS brief description will suffice TO show
that the mystery play had its origin in the
desire to bring home TO the people the great
truths ABOVE indicated in the readiest posi-
slpie manner. by appealing both to ear and
eye originally II was represented in the
church but gradually the scene was tranea
ferred to the outer air, and in l2lO a papa1
edict forbade the clergy TO act in churcheN
prohibition which was repeated by the
council of Treves In 1927. The Eiehty.S
eighth Canon OF 1903 direct. that playT
churchyards
Even where no play" was acted there
was often at certain seasons some erection
which could bring visibly before the pe6Si
pie the event which was being commence
rated. Thus We find in some accounts IN
ments for the Easter "Sepuchre" and az
christmas money paid for naylis and tymT
per TO make the none (moon) under the
noiyn, and stranger still. money paid foha
70 slnaI IAr,- -.
PROBABLY dove. Entries of this kind
snow plainly enough that in our churches
II was not unusual to appeal to the eyes Of
the worshipers by some spectacular ar.
rangement suggestive of the festival they
were keeping. For similar reason
churches were often enriched with frescoe6
ana other pictorial representations of
sacred character.
1t is, of course. essential that the playa if
reproduced. should be acted under condt.
lions which would not be contradictory "a
their religious spirit and character. \,
This end would undoubtedly be secured
through the agency of the English Drama
society. Quite recently that society acted
amid surroundings not altogether favor.
able, three of the plays from the New Tes.
lament cycle, THE Salutation," 1.-The Shep.
herds Play and The Kings Play" 1t is
interesting to note that ii is 800 years since
they were last performed r
There are four well-known series of myss
terry dramas-the York, the Townley (or
| Wakefield. the Chester and the Coventry
Which we possess. but others, no doubt, at
one time existed at Beverley and elsewhere.
| Originally they were associated with the
| observance of the feast of Corpus Christi on
| the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, but at
| chester they very early became connected
with Whltsuntide, and are styled in old doo-
| uments (of course, with varied spellngD the
| "Whitson Plaies.' The various cycles are
all built on the same model, and deal with
much the same episodes. The ma jority OF
the incidents enacted are from the New
Tact aar,f
the longest, consisting OF forty-eight plays)
contains more than the others from the Old
Testament, giving. as it does, several which
deal with Pharoah and the bondage in
| Egypt The Chester cycle consists of twen-
ty-five, but has only five from the Old Tes-
| lament, one of which, king Balak and
Balaam," IL peculiar to 1t. The Chester plays
ARE perhaps the most acceptable to modern
audiences, both in substance and in die
ton They are also more serious in tone
than others, for in each piece there is an
expositor who explains it's significance and
lesson, a parish priest who has TO speak q
kind of prayer moral to the play.