Everyman

Everyman (English) or Elckerlijc (Dutch) is an Anglo-Dutch morality play by an unknown playwright.

The name is generally found in German translation as Jedermann, in French as and Afrikaans versions include the titles Elkeman,

The original text

The play, by whatever title, is possibly the most famous example of a morality play from the 15th century, telling of how God summons Everyman by ordering Death to take him for his own. Everyman pleads delay and then seeks around for anyone who may bear him company. First he turns to Fellowship, later to Knowledge, Beauty, Strength, and so on.

Though Everyman is often considered an original English morality play, it was most probably first known in the Dutch form, though many sources are mentioned by various authors. (See for example the overview of the text's hisory by Clifford Davidson, Martin W. Walsh and Ton J. Broos, 2007)

Another suggestion for the origins of the play is that it is a version of a Latin play called Quilibet by Petrus Dorlandus (also known as Petrus Diesthemius or Peter van Diest). , or even . (The latter suggestion from J.W. van Bart in his introduction to his edition of Gennep’s Een comedia ofte spel van Homulus).

The spelling of the Dutch play's title varies. Other forms of spelling are Elckerlijk, Elkerlijk, Elckerlyc.

The English title is usually given as Everyman (though a version Every Man has been noted).

Notable productions of the Dutch text were mounted well into the modern age, especially by Johan de Meester in 1907 and at the Holland Festival between 1950 and 1971.

Translations and adaptations

Everyman, in English (16th century) Homulus, translation in Latin (1536) by Christianus Ischyrius[1] 1536 Latin translation entitled Homulus by Christianus Ischyrius, rector of the Maastricht Latin School, Hecastus, adaptation in Latin (1536) by Macropedius Jedermann (1911), Hugo von Hofmannsthal's German adaptation of Everyman See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elckerlijc

A modern play, based on the medieval morality play and also called Everyman, was written by Charles Frohman and directed by Ben Greet was first performed in 1901 in Britain, and opened on Broadway in 1902. (See "Everyman (modern play)" in Wikipedia[1].)

The Summoning of Everyman: A Modern Version of the Mediaeval Morality Play by Herbert W. Payne. Samuel French, 1947

Generally found in German translation as Jedermann.

Afrikaans versions include the titles Elkeman,

Everyman: a morality play: a modernised version of the Medieval interlude of the same name is a South African English text written by Guy Butler in 1950. (An unpublished manuscript held in the NELM archives.)

Crossroads is an improvised and adapted performance text by Theatre Workshop '71 of Everyman.

Reza de Wet's Afrikaans play Mirakel uses an attempt by a touring company of actors to perform an Afrikaans version of Everyman (referred to as Elkeman) in a rural South African town in 1936, using this as the framing event for the contemporary intrigue. First performed in Afrikaans in 1992 and published in 1993, then translated into English as Miracle in 2000.

Performance history in South Africa

1927: Performed in Dutch as Elckerlijc in the open air, on the grounds of St Cyprian School in Cape Town on Saturday 9 April by the visiting Dutch company of Anton Verheyen, Louis de Vriendt, Mignon Sorel and others. A choir was directed by Sarah Goldblatt was also incorporated.

1927: This same production was performed in the Recreation Hall in Stellenbosch on 12 April. Due to bad weather the planned open-air performance was not possible.

Pre-1931: Everyman produced in English by professor William H. Bell as his first production at the Stal Plein Hotel. (This activity which would lead to the founding of the Department of Speech and Drama in 19**.)

1963: Everyman adapted and produced in English for the Rhodes University Players by Guy Butler, in collaboration with the Rhodes University Chamber Choir, directed by Georg Gruber, September 1963. (NELM AN: MANU-36130).

198*: Everyman performed in English by PACT with Pamela Gien, Madeleine Bertine Rose,

1992: Reza de Wet's play Miracle, containing an section of Elkeman, performed in Afrikaans at the Grahamstown Festival.

Sources

Clifford Davidson, Martin W. Walsh and Ton J. Broos. 2007. Introduction to Everyman and Its Dutch Original, Elckerlijc. University of Rochester, Robbins Library Digital Project - TEAMS Middle English Texts Series [2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyman_(play)

World Drama, Allardyce Nicoll, 1949. p 164.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elckerlijc

Die Burger 8 April 1927.

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