Medieval Drama

This definitive program traces the development of medieval drama, from Hildegard von Bingen's musical morality play Ordo Virtutum (The Ritual of the Virtues) to the seminal Everyman. Featuring extended excerpts from these influential works, as well as from The Second Shepherd's Play and the 1998 staging of the Mystery Cycle in York, England, the video also establishes the genre's socioreligious context. Expert commentary from a variety of scholars, including Meg Twycross of Lancaster University and Alexandra Johnston of the University of Toronto, as well as interviews with theater staff help to capture the vitality of an art form that bridges dramatic history from the Classical Age to Shakespeare. A Films for the Humanities&Sciences Production. (48 minutes, color