UCI’S MEDIEVAL THEATRE CLOSES TRILOGY TONIGHT

When UC Irvine’s ambitious Medieval Theatre Festival began in 1985, there was concern that the archaic plays with religious themes might be inaccessible to most people. Even Robert Cohen, the festival director, wasn’t convinced that it was such a good idea.

“I was absolutely dubious in the beginning,” recalled Cohen, who directed the first two installments of “The Plaie Called Corpus Christi” in 1985 and ’86 and who brings the final chapter, “The Passion, the Resurrection and the Judgement,” to the campus Fine Arts Village Theatre tonight.

“I had taught (medieval plays) before and thought they were quaint, but not really that interesting (to a contemporary audience). But when we went into rehearsals, I became quite astonished. The plays were vigorous, intellectually stimulating and intensely theatrical.”

They were also a hit. Both the first and second chapters (the first explored man’s origins as stated in the Old Testament; the second retold the birth of Christ) drew heavenly reviews from critics and the public. Cohen believes the final segment of the trilogy, which dramatizes Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, should also be well received.

“I think we’ve got something dynamic here; it will be a very nice way to round this all out,” he said.

Considering the nature and history of Medieval Theatre, it’s not surprising that Cohen was at first daunted.

The cycle of plays, all deeply rooted in the Roman Catholic church, flourished in England during the 14th and 16th centuries until they fell out of favor during the Protestant reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The plays further lost popularity when theater guilds began producing more general entertainment, free of religious subject matter.

The plays, as passed down over the years, remain lush with antique English language, which Cohen knew would be difficult for an audience. Then there’s their biblical nature: Because of their familiarity, the stories may lack surprise, an important element for any drama.

Cohen and festival dramaturge Edgar Schell handled the language problem by excising words and phrasings that do not have a modern reference. “We had to approach this delicately and carefully, because we didn’t want to lose the old flavor (of the writing),” Schell said.

To make the dramas as interesting as possible, Cohen has included several special effects that, he said, “should be flashy, maybe even amazing.” He didn’t want to detail these tricks, but Cohen did say devils will appear from a smoky hell, and Christ will ascend to heaven.

Schell noted that the effects at UCI may be similar to those used in the 14th Century. The guilds that staged these dramas in villages throughout England often drew large crowds because of the rough magic--flying angels, simulated earthquakes--they brought to the productions.

“We’ve been careful to make our effects the same way they would have been in those days,” Schell said. “They are sensational, but nothing that couldn’t have been done in the 14th century.”

The play is intended more to transport an audience to medieval times, than as a modern interpretation of an ancient theater form, Cohen said.

Schell and Cohen said they believe that the drama’s religious orientation should not be a turnoff to anyone who prefers more secular entertainment.

“I think it’s easy for a secular person to have a good response here,” Cohen said. “You can look at the stories as profoundly ethical or political. The response doesn’t have to be just to the religion.”

“They are not propagandist, nor do they proselytize,” Schell added. “They just ask for a dramatic response from the audience. The audience is challenged that way.”

The student actors who make up most of the cast are also challenged. The plays offer not just demanding language but a chance to interpret highly archetypal roles. And since Medieval Theatre is rarely produced in America, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Cohen said.

“There’s only one other regular festival (every three years), and that’s in Toronto,” he noted. “It’s really too bad, too. These plays offer some brilliant theater, and they should be done more often.”

Cohen and Schell would like to resurrect this trilogy again. Buoyed by the success of the nine-hour “The Mahabharata,” playing in the Los Angeles Festival, they may mount an eight-hour production with the three medieval dramas running together.

If money is forthcoming from UCI, grants and private sources, the project could be ready by 1990. Cohen said the production would tour other colleges and wherever else there is interest.

The UCI Medieval Theatre Festival presents “The Concluding Episodes of the Plaie Called Corpus Christi: The Passion, the Resurrection and the Judgement” at the Fine Arts Village Theatre Sept. 23-26; Sept. 29-30; and Oct. 1-3 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $5-$8. (714) 856-6616.