Everyman's fear of death is a universal emotion, but his spiritual victory over death is a triumphant expression of Christian faith and Catholic doctrine. Everyman was originally produced in the late fifteenth century and was performed regularly for the next seventy-five years by professional and semi-professional companies. Although the play was based on a Dutch play and was extensively produced in Holland and England, no production records from that time exist today. After a lapse of nearly four hundred years, William Poel, founder of the Elizabethan Stage Society, produced the first modern production on July 7, in the Great Hall of the Charterhouse in London.
Poel directed and designed the play as well as acting the part of Death, in subsequent productions he played the role of God. Poel's productions were acted in strict accordance with the original text with no cuts alterations or additions. His set design consisted of a bare medieval chapel interior. The costumes were based on figures from fifteenth century Flemish tapestries Goodman After its successful premiere, Poel gave two more performances, this time outside the Chapterhouse.
He then took the play on the road traveling all over England, playing town squares, college theatres and churches, giving performances both indoors and out. Early in the play's production, Ben Greet came aboard as co-producer, director and actor.
It was Greet who finally brought Everyman to America in In , Max Reinhardt, a famous German director decided to mount his own production of Everyman after seeing Poel's version. The script was revised and modernized by Hugo von Hofmannstal and an original score was composed by Einar Nilson. Hofmannstal removed much of the religious dogma and highlighted Everyman's insatiable lust for life.
An elaborate banquet scene was added and quickly became the central feature of the German production. The play was done in an area style house with simple props and set pieces. Jedermann has been produced every year, except during World War II, in the Salzburg Cathedral square during the summer. In this production of Everyman, the objective is to create a mid-fifteenth century Medieval stage. This is accomplished by brining the play out of a modern proscenium setting and stage it on a pageant wagon.
This immediately sets the tone for the play and brings the audience back in time five hundred years. The wagon itself has to look like a Medieval stage on wheels, yet it has to be sturdy enough to hold a cast of twelve plus flats, stairs and a balcony. A complication to the wagon is that has to be built in pieces, to be put together before the performance, which would fit through a normal double door. The ground plan of the production offered ample acting space downstage of the mansions, considering that at most times there are no more than three actors actively involved in any given scene.
The backdrop is painted to look like a page taken form a Medieval manuscript, the colours were to be vibrant and the symbolism evident at a glance. The other design element the helps reinforce the Medieval look is the use of an arcade screen, four stationary mansions representing the homes of some of the cast.
The curtain hung in the centre of the screen served as an entrance and exit point for the rest of the cast. All the characters were from the original medieval morality play. The particular takes on their personalities came from the students I knew I was going to be working with. The original play was a product of its time, a tool used by the Church to keep people tied to its rituals. I had a strong desire to see the story updated with a more modern understanding of the nature of God's grace towards us.
This was intentionally written to be very flexible in how it can be produced. It can be staged very simply and still be powerful. Or if you have the means to do it up big, then do so! Have a good time with it! Playwrights Register Log in Wishlist 0 Shopping cart 0. You have no items in your shopping cart. Everyman 2. Book By: Gwendolyn J. Play : All the characters are also allegorical, each personifying an abstract idea such as Fellowship, material Goods, and Knowledge. The conflict between good and evil is dramatised by the interactions between characters.
Everyman is being singled out because it is difficult for him to find characters to accompany him on his pilgrimage.
Everyman eventually realizes through this pilgrimage that he is essentially alone, despite all the personified characters that were supposed necessities and friends to him.
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