The Initial Inspiration--Medieval Mysteries

In 2002, I had been invited to direct the Medieval Mysteries by the director of Gonzaga University's theatre program, John Hofland. Faith in myself, yes I needed that. While I had directed many productions and was well established in my career, this was my first opportunity to direct at my new university. Gonzaga University in Spokane Washington is a Jesuit school. While not raised Catholic, I have found the Jesuit tradition of “Men and Women for and with others” more than a slogan. Instead, this emphasis on social justice completely aligns with my teaching and personal philosophy. The 2002 production of The Medieval Mysteries was a strong tie to the Gonzaga Mission, as well as a fantastic educational opportunity for the cast of undergraduates.  

Between the 14th and 17th centuries in Britain, medieval mystery plays served a key role in society and influenced later writers--including Shakespeare. Written mainly by clergy, these plays form cycles that narrate biblical history from the creation to the Day of Judgment. These plays became known as mystery plays because they were often performed by trade guilds and religious orders (the French word mistere means “craft” or “service”). – Dr. Douglas Sugano

I was grateful to begin my research for this project by having the opportunity to audit a Medieval Drama course from a friend and colleague. This allowed me to further develop a sense of history, ritual, and drama within the time period. One of the elements that stood out from that class was his analogy of the ‘telescoping of time’. These stories have survived over the ages because of the applicability from generation to generation. The Biblical stories we covered were from the Creation of Heaven and the Fall of Adam and Eve, to Crucifixion and Resurrection. 

This performance definitely gave me a new perception when it comes to how the entire Bible may interact as a whole, even, when it seems as if it does not.  This performance really helped me to realize how these characters are human. – Audience member 2016

I was introduced to a copy of “The Midland Mysteries” written several years prior by the chair of the Whitworth College English Department, Dr. Douglas Sugano. Together we produced a condensed version, turning the eight-hour play into a two-hour theater production entitled The Medieval Mysteries. It was a true delight working with him as a scholar and playwright. 

The artistic solution of gender-blind casting also served me over a decade later when directing Jesus Christ Superstar for Gonzaga. We worked to cast the strongest performer for each role, and that meant many of the key characters such as Judas, Pilate, and many Apostles were played by women. Again, the focus was not on the sex of the characters, but rather on their story. Many audience and cast members shared that this gender-blind casting, which was actually born from necessity, made many of the characters more relatable.