A Mystery Play in Honour of the Nativity of our LordBenson, Robert Hugh
Religion
A Mystery Play in Honour of the Nativity of our Lord
Benson, Robert Hugh
Christmas plays
7. _The Three Merchants._—These are all in long tunic and burnous of
various darkish colours. All wear turbans and sandals, and Eliphaz a
fur wrap. The stuffs used should be of better quality than the others,
each of them wearing at least one piece of silk. Each has a broad
girdle, in which is a knife or two. They may carry or wear beads.
_Martha._—She wears a white tunic, falling half-way between knee and
foot, and dark-blue burnous; hose and sandals.
_Abel._—He wears a white tunic and deer-skin, with hose and sandals.
_Herald._—He is dressed simply in a long girded white tunic and
sandals.
_The Angels._—These, as a foundation, wear night-dresses, girded.
Over this each wears the dress of one of the three Greater Orders. The
“priest-angels” wear crossed stoles; the “deacon-angels” dalmatics, and
the “subdeacon-angels” tunicles. These garments are all made of
voluminous white butter-muslin. They should wear no wings or spangles
or colours of any kind whatsoever. Their hair is combed out at length
over their shoulders. Two “priest-angels” carry drawn swords upright.
_The Three Kings._—These must be dressed as gorgeously as possible,
with any materials available; but the following points may be remembered
with advantage. The colours used should be splendid, but not light or
gaudy. (If, for example, light-blue is used, it is seen at once to be
entirely out of scale with the other figures—heliotrope and purple and
dark-red or green are far more effective.) Each should present one
predominant colour. Each should wear, in addition to tunic and mantle,
a long train pinned to the shoulders, edged with ermine. (Ermine is
produced effectively by long strips of cotton wadding dotted with
black stuff “tails.”) The crowns should be set inside or outside of
voluminous turbans of silk. The jewellery worn by them should be heavy
and effective and barbaric; for example, a twisted serpent of gold
paper turned up the arm, or a heavy collar across the shoulders.
The _Servant_ of the Kings should be dressed on the same lines, but
without mantle or train.
_Gaspar_ should be bearded and browed with grey; all four persons
should be heavily stained on face and hands.
A suitable stain may be obtained from Mr. Peck, chemist, Trumpington
Street, Cambridge, such as is used in the “Greek Play” at the
University.
The beards used should not be the ordinary beards made in a piece. Hair
should be obtained from a theatrical property shop, and affixed piece
by piece with strong spiritgum. For those who wear beards a few lines
upon the face are generally necessary to blend the complexion with the
hair.
IV. THE METHOD OF ACTING
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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