ScholarWorks > Arts & Sciences > English > COMPDR > Vol. 29 (1995) > Iss. 3
Abstract
In lieu of an abstract, the first paragraph of the essay follows:
A scanning of Richard Trexler's provisional checklist of theatrical performances in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Florence reveals two types of Christmas dramas: Nativity plays and Magi plays.1 This should come as no surprise, given that the Christmas holiday lasts until Epiphany. When we examine the dates of these recorded performances, however, we notice an unusual pattern. While the Magi plays, as expected, are listed as having been staged at Epiphany,2 none of the Nativity plays recorded by Trexler were staged during the Christmas season; instead, they are listed in connection with the parade of fl.oats commemorating St. John's day (24 June) and are associated with the youths' confraternity of the Archangel Raphael, also known as the confraternity of the Nativity.3 It would seem that there were no Nativity plays staged at Christmas!
Recommended Citation
Eisenbichler, Konrad
(1995)
"Nativity and Magi Plays in Renaissance Florence,"
Comparative Drama: Vol. 29:
Iss.
3, Article 2.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol29/iss3/2