Medieval drama developed between 900 – 1500 AD with the influence of the Catholic Church. In the performance, there are songs that are sung by the monks and interspersed with the choir. Then there is the ‘pasio’ performance, which is often held in the church before the Easter ceremony to date. The play that was first played in the ascension of Jesus to heaven, around the Christmas story, the stories of the Bible, to the play about the saints (saints). Additionally, if you’re looking for scripts of plays for kids, we suggest you visit the right website so you can find the ones that suitable for children.
When the church does not allow plays in the church, the drama is then performed on the streets and in the field. This has an effect on changing the theme of plays that are more likely about virtue, wealth, poverty, knowledge, ignorance, and so on. Staging a drama like this is called moral drama because it teaches the eternal struggle between evil and goodness in the hearts of men. In the middle of the performance, the clown element is usually included to provoke the audience to laugh because they are tired of watching the performance that goes slowly.
The characteristics of the medieval theater are as follows:
a) Played by actors who study at university so it is associated with philosophical and religious issues.
b) Actors play on a stage on a train that can be carried around the streets.
c) The stage decoration is simple and symbolic.
d) Lyrics of drama dialogue using dialect or language.
e) Played in public by collecting fees.
Italian Drama
During the 17th century, Italy tried to maintain the form of Commedia dell’arte which originated from Greek comedy. In 1575 this form was already popular in Italy. It then spread widely in Europe and influenced all forms of comedy that were created in 1600. Typical features of Dell’s Media Comedia are:
a) Using a play script that contains an outline of the story.
b) Players are free to improvise following the story and are required to have extensive knowledge that can support the game of improvisation.
c) The story is played based on a story that is told down and down.
