Stage and Set

Artist's Rendition of a Medieval Pageant Wagon

The York Cycle was performed all throughout the town of York. The plays were set on pageant wagons which could move around the town to different places. "Every company had his pagiant, or parte, which pagiants weare a high scafolde with two rowmes, a higher and a lower, upon four wheeles" (Nagler, p49). The levels on the pageant wagons allowed them to have multiple areas of playing space. Plus, the usually had the area on the ground in front of the wagon. This allowed for different areas for Heaven, Eden and Earth.

The plays will be performed in the Tower Theatre, here on the Central Washington University campus. We decided against pageant wagons because we could build a more elaborate set for these set of plays. The set will consist of four levels; heaven at the top, then Eden, followed by Earth and finally Hell. (This could also be done with four different playing spaces). Each area just needs to be clearly designated and readable as said space. This would mean that when an angel speaks or God speaks it will be from the Heaven, while the people would be in their space. The devil would also be in hell but cross over to Eden when it turns into the serpent during The Fall of Man.

This I feel creates a nice contrast of the areas and spaces within the plays. Plus it also gives much opportunity for creativity in all areas of the backstage work; set design, lighting, props and sound.

Sources Used:
A Source Book in Theatrical History; A.M. Nagler; Dover Publications Inc; Mineola, N.Y; 1952