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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.