In contrast to the stage and decor, we know little about the costumes used in the plays.
Because they were normally provided by the actors, they do not figure in the expense
accounts. In 1535, Jean Bouchet warned the citizens of Issoudun, who were rehearsing a
Passion play, against having characters like the Pharisees dressed as richly as Pilate,
which suggests that elaborate rather than appropriate costumes were worn. This is
supported by the ac-count of the montre, or preperformance parade, from Bourges, which
describes rich costumes adorned with gold and jewels.
The actors in the civic plays were drawn from all walks of life—nobility, clergy,
bourgeois, and artisans. Virtually all of them were men, playing both male and female
roles. There are a few recorded instances, however, when women took part in plays. The
first such occasion was in Metz in 1468, when a young girl of eighteen played the title
role in a play of St. Catherine of Siena.
Preparations and rehearsals usually took several months, and the performances were
mostly in the summer. Though not usually linked with any special feast day, plays might
be staged on several successive days, during which the shops and workplaces were
closed. They might also be played on Sundays and feast days only, over a period of some
weeks. Notices of productions and invitations were sent to many neighboring
communities. During the performance, guards were increased at the town gates and in the
playing area, and other precautions were taken against civil disorder. Children under
twelve, pregnant women, and the infirm were barred from the theater at Mons, but the
theater at Romans had a special railing on the boxes to prevent children from falling.
The amount of money taken at the entrances suggests that audiences of several
thousand attended each performance of the big plays. Money was also made from the sale
of materials and properties after the event. Despite this, Mons, Romans, and Bourges all
lost money on their plays, though Issoudun and Valenciennes both made a profit. There
were other advantages, however, for the plays brought trade, fame, and visitors to the
towns and provided employment for the local craftsmen. Above all, there were many
spiritual benefits for the organizers, artisans, actors, and spectators who “with divine help
and all being done devoutly and for the instruction of the people” took part in the “play of
God.”
Lynette R.Muir
[See also: THEATER]
Meredith, Peter, and John E.Tailby, eds. The Staging of Religious Drama in Europe in the Later
Middle Ages. Kalamazoo: Medieval Institute, 1983.
Muir, Lynette R. “Audiences in the French Medieval Theatre.” Medieval English Theatre
9(1987):8–22.
——. “Women on the Medieval Stage: The Evidence from France.” Medieval English Theatre
7(1985):107–19.
Rey-Flaud, Henri. Le cercle magique. Paris: Gallimard, 1973.
Tydeman, William. The Theatre in the Middle Ages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1978.
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