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Staging the York Plays: The Scholarly
Debate
Staging
| Scholarly Debate
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3: Results
Line counts provide an estimated minimum performance
time, because, as previously discussed, they do not account for extended
stage business, songs, or missing leaves. However, the videotapes of the
1977 Toronto production are records of a complete production, with missing
lines reconstructed from other sources so as to provide the audience with
a complete dramatic experience. The appropriate pauses for stage business,
songs, special effects, applause, laughter, and even missed cues are preserved
on the tapes. While many of the troupes in the Toronto production performed
their material with speed and grace, many others were slower and less sure
of their material.
The actors of medieval York, both amateur and professional, had ample
time and incentive to streamline their production from year to year, so
the overall performance pace probably was faster. Nevertheless, I kept
the clock running when the Toronto plays were slowed down by audience reactions
(such as the 45-second ovation earned by a dog who trotted up to inspect
the manger in the Nativity play),
or acting delays (a Herod forgetting his lines, a baby Jesus struggling
to crawl away, etc.). Such unexpected events surely occurred in medieval
times.
Table 5: Run time chart.
[Lost plays bracketed] |
| Play Title |
Rogerson
Estimates
[h:]m:s |
Toronto
Times
[h:]m:s |
| 1) "CREATION/LUCIFER" |
10:00 |
12:15 |
| 2) "CREATION 5 DAYS" |
5:00 |
10:30 |
| 3) "CREATION A & E" |
6:00 |
5:20 |
| 4) "EDEN" |
6:00 |
4:30 |
| 5) "FALL of MAN" |
11:00 |
7:45 |
| 6) "EXPULSION" |
10:00 |
7:40 |
| 7) "CAIN & ABEL" |
8:00 |
18:30 |
| 8) "BUILDING OF ARK" |
9:00 |
8:15 |
| 9) "NOAH'S FLOOD" |
19:00 |
19:05 |
| 10) "ABRAHAM & ISAAC" |
23:00 |
18:45 |
| 11) "EXODUS" |
24:00 |
23:00 |
| 12) "ANNUNC./VISIT." |
14:00 |
17:30 |
| 13) "JOSEPH'S TROUBLE" |
18:00 |
15:40 |
| 14) "NATIVITY" |
9:00 |
8:15 |
| 15) "ANGEL/SHEPHERDS" |
8:00 |
9:40 |
| 16) "MAGI & HEROD" |
12:00 |
21:20 |
| 17) "ADORATION" |
20:00 |
26:05 |
| 18) "PURIFICATION" |
28:00 |
21:20 |
| 19) "FLIGHT TO EGYPT" |
14:00 |
9:25 |
| 20) "INNOCENTS" |
17:00 |
14:30 |
| 21) "CHRIST & DOCTORS" |
14:00 |
15:25 |
| 22) "BAPTISM" |
11:00 |
10:20 |
| 23) [CANA] |
| 24) "TEMPTATION" |
13:00 |
15:00 |
| 25) "TRANSFIGURATION" |
14:00 |
11:00 |
| 26) "[SIMON THE LEPER]" |
| 27) "WOMAN/LAZARUS" |
16:00 |
14:15 |
| 28) [LAZARUS] |
| 29) "JERUSALEM ENTRY" |
33:00 |
23:30 |
| 30) "CONSPIRACY" |
18:00 |
16:45 |
| 31) "LAST SUPPER" |
15:00 |
13:55 |
| 32) [WASHING OF FEET] |
| 33) "AGONY & BETRAYAL" |
18:00 |
18:10 |
| 34) "CAIAPHAS/PETER" |
24:00 |
21:15 |
| 35) "PILATE 1/WIFE" |
33:00 |
28:50 |
| 36) "TRIAL BY HEROD" |
24:00 |
31:15 |
| 37) "PILATE 2/JUDAS" |
23:00 |
22:10 |
| 38) [HANGING OF JUDAS] |
| 39) "PILATE 2/CONDEMN" |
29:00 |
32:25 |
| 40) [SCOURGING] |
| 41) "ROAD TO CALVARY" |
21:00 |
17:10 |
| 42) [DIV VESTMENTS] |
| 43) "CRUCIFIXION" |
18:00 |
15:30 |
| 44) [RAISING OF CROSS] |
| 45) "DEATH OF CHRIST" |
25:00 |
23:45 |
| 46) "HARROWING OF HELL" |
24:00 |
22:00 |
| 47) "RESURRECT ION" |
27:00 |
21:30 |
| 48) "MARY MAGDALENE" |
9:00 |
7:00 |
| 49) "ROAD TO EMMAUS" |
12:00 |
9:20 |
| 50) "DOUBTING THOMAS" |
12:00 |
9:10 |
| 51) "ASCENSION" |
17:00 |
14:50 |
| 52) "PENTECOST" |
13:00 |
10:10 |
| 53) "DEATH OF MARY" |
12:00 |
14:25 |
| 54) [FERGUS] |
| 55) "ASSUMPTION/THOMAS" |
19:00 |
22:40 |
| 56) "CORONATION" |
10:00 |
10:10 |
| 57) "JUDGMENT DAY" |
23:00 |
25:15 |
| TOTALS: |
13:18:00 |
12:38:30 |
Although our knowledge about the original performance
pace and about the length of the missing material is limited, we can imagine
that a simulation based on times taken from the videotapes represents a
maximum performance time.
| Table 6: PSim Results |
Total Performance Time
for the York Corpus Christi Play
Plays: Register (48)
|
Rogerson
Estimates |
Toronto
Times |
| 8 Stations |
17:47 |
17:46 |
| 10 Stations |
18:53 |
18:27 |
| 12 Stations |
19:59 |
19:31 |
| 14 Stations |
21:05 |
20:36 |
| 16 Stations |
22:41 |
21:41 |
|
Plays: 1535 List (32)
|
Rogerson
Estimates |
Toronto
Times |
| 8 Stations |
13:47 |
14:02 |
| 10 Stations |
14:45 |
14:34 |
| 12 Stations |
15:51 |
15:39 |
| 14 Stations |
16:57 |
16:43 |
| 16 Stations |
18:03 |
17:48 |
|
-
Stations: Varying
-
Run Times: Varying
-
Play List: Varying
|
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