Play cycle
Article
A play cycle is a sequence of dramatic works designed to be performed or understood as a connected group. The plays may share a continuous story, recurring characters, a historical period, a religious narrative, or a common thematic structure.
In medieval European theatre, mystery-play cycles presented a series of biblical episodes ranging from the Creation to the Last Judgement. Individual plays were often staged by different craft guilds and performed in sequence during religious festivals.
The term can also describe modern groups of plays written by one dramatist about a family, community, historical era, or recurring set of characters. Each play may function independently while contributing to a broader dramatic narrative.
A cycle allows events to be represented across a longer span than a single production normally permits. Repetition, contrast, and the return of characters or themes give the separate works structural unity.
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- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_cycle