uquesne University

        Medieval and Renaissance Players

M   A   N   K   I   N   D

October 16, 1998
Atlanta, Georgia
Southeast Medieval Association (SEMA) Annual Conference

October 22-24
Peter Mills Auditorium at Duquesne University.

October 29-31
Carlow College.

Mercy: Robert Brooke Titivillus: Luke Wojtowich

Mankind: Lia To Osle Nowadays: Kristie Szalanski Nought: Melissa Smith

New Guise: Katrina Bidinotto Mischief: Nikki Andel Director: Michelle M. Butler Costume Designer: Dr. Anne Brannen Stage Manager: Monica Ianelli

The DMRP would like to thank the following people and organizations for their support of our performances of Mankind: Dean Constance Ramirez, Dr. Carole Tarhi, and Ms. Sara McKee, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Father Sean Hogan, Vice President for Student Life The National Endowment for the Humanities DU Student Government Organization Rose Ravasio and the DU Public Relations Office Dr. Ronald C. Arnett, chair of the affiliated departments of Communication and English Jane Gardner and Cindy Burke, Comm/English department miracle-workers Steve Fatla at Carlow College Dr. Mary Elizabeth David The DU Red Masquers

Mankind is a morality play, and dates from about 1470. In morality plays, a character who represents humanity (and thus is named Mankind or Everyman) falls into sin and is redeemed. But the rather stodgy term "morality play" doesn't begin to describe Mankind. You may have seen or heard about Everyman. Everyman is really what you'd expect from something called a morality play. It is a rather straightforward, no-nonsense, and G-rated presentation of Everyman's recognition of his own mortality and what he must do to go to heaven. But while Everyman and Mankind are both morality plays, they are utterly different.

Where Everyman is reverent, Mankind bubbles with bawdy humor. Of the seven characters, five are evil. Nowadays, Nought, and New Guise engage in the kind of slapstick comedy we are familiar with from the Three Stooges. They ridicule Mercy, and encourage the audience to sing a raunchy "Christmas song." Yet all this randy humor has a point. We see the much-abused Mankind fall into sin, and then see that he can be saved anyway. Early on, Mischief tries hard to lure the audience as well as Mankind into evil. The vices encourage the audience to laugh at Mankind when he resists their temptations, which implicitly puts the audience on the side of the vices.

Later, the vices solicit the audience for money before they bring out Titivillus, thus getting the audience to pay to see the devil. Through humor, Mankind shows that humanity--both the representative Mankind within the play, and the audience--falls into sin but Mercy is able to overcome it.

Mankind offers a unique opportunity for contemporary actors. Medieval acting techniques are considerably different than those of modern drama; for example, direct contact with the audience is frequent and encouraged.