Medieval Plays

Can Salvation Be Funny?
Join the members of English 40222 (Medieval Drama) as they explore this question with staged readings of The York Crucifixion Pageant and Mankind. Though each play is strikingly different—one a reenactment of the Crucifixion, the other an allegorical journey—they both rely on humor, sometimes quite crass humor, to make their point. Both plays will include some authentic Middle English for purists, but be forewarned: the students have translated and modernized several aspects of the plays to speak to the tastes and concerns of a modern audience. The plays are open to the public, although the performance is probably not appropriate for young children, given the ribald nature of some of the dialogue. Both performances promise to provide comic relief and to provoke thought.  

Light refreshments and convivial discussion will follow the 45-minute performance.