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The History Of Easter Plays
By Audrey Sneddon

The events that lead up to Easter are some of the most well-known in the world and have been depicted countless times in art, from Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, a classic from the Renaissance period, to modern things such as Andre Lloyd Webber's musical, Jesus Christ Superstar.

The latter is actually a highly secularized account of the last days of Jesus and merely one in the latest of a long history of plays about Easter and the events leading up to it. The development of Easter plays is a tradition that dates to the middle ages and the worship practices of the Catholic Church.

As a Mass

If you've been to a Catholic church around Easter, then you may have witnessed an event in which the Gospel is not read merely by one priest, but by several people, even with audience participation. This form of reading the Gospel is actually the precursor to Easter plays, a traditional part of the mass at Easter. Originally, the form of these early Easter plays strictly followed the words of the Gospel, and could be either spoken or set to music.

As time went on, however, the people developed a taste for the dramatic and the priests did their best to satisfy these needs. It was at this time that people such as Pontius Pilate were included in the Easter plays and a study of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene were added to the Easter celebrations. By the fourteenth century, these had developed into multiple and distinct Easter plays, many identified by the church or monastery that developed them.

Secularization

The development of plays featuring additional characters surrounding the life of Jesus, as well as the public's desire to hear about more than just Easter itself in plays, led to the development of the Passion Play, which is a more comprehensive following of the days leading up to the death of Jesus. Also, while the Easter plays were indeed popular, as they grew more secularized, they also grew less solemn and respectful of the religious roots of Easter. As a result, some religious figures forbade the production of the more secular plays.

Protestantism And Rediscovery

The development of rifts among Christians in the 1500s led to a wider ban on the Easter plays as a way to avoid uneasiness about dramas based on the Gospel. The Easter plays did not gain in popularity again until the 1700s and 1800s, when they were rediscovered and once more celebrated, with productions lasting even up until present day, as well as new plays and musicals inspired by the Easter plays. It seems that the popularity of the Easter plays are currently here to stay, both as a religious and as a secular celebration of one of the most key Christian holidays.

Author Details:
Audrey Sneddon writes for various web sites on a wide variety of subjects including Easter, and other holidays.

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