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Most plays were religious in nature. Live stage plays
were used to teach people about Christianity and the Catholic
Church. Mystery
Plays: Mystery plays were Bible stories. There were four or five
short mystery plays in each presentation. Clergymen were the actors. Each
presentation was broken up, and staged all over town. One stage was located
right outside the local church. Another scene might be staged in a wagon
that was pulled through town. Some scenes were placed in different parts of
town. The audience moved from stage to stage. The mystery plays were quite
fun and very well attended by commoners and nobles alike. The stories
included the Birth of Jesus, The Wise Men, and the Flight Into Egypt. Miracle
Plays: Miracle plays were plays about the lives of the saints and
the miracles they performed. Again, the clergy were the actors. These plays
were staged like the mystery plays. Morality
Plays: Morality plays began with the rise of towns. Actors
performed these plays. The stories were about virtues and vices such as
fellowship, good deeds, and death. The towns also produced miracle and
mystery plays that were performed by actors. Some sets for some plays were
really elaborate. Sometimes, there were no sets at all. This was especially
true of plays performed in the cathedrals. The backdrop of the cathedral was
the setting.
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