Everyman

Everyman (English) (or Elckerlijc in Dutch) is a morality play by an unknown playwright.

Also known in Belgium as Den Spieghel der Salicheit van Elckerlijc ("The mirror of salvation of Everyman"), the play is more generally found simply as Everyman (English), Elckerlijc in Flemish or Dutch, Jedermann in German, and Elkeman in Afrikaans.

The spelling of the Dutch play's title actually varies substantially, including Elckerlijk, Elkerlijk, Elckerlyc.

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, there is a strong argument for its being a Flemish work, 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). (The latter suggestion from J.W. van Bart in his introduction to his edition of Gennep’s Een comedia ofte spel van Homulus).

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.

In 1987 Elckerlijc (or Den Spieghel der Salicheit van Elckerlijc) was published as part of a series of Medieval Dutch texts for South African students and Afrikaans versions of the text 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. (The unpublished manuscript is 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]

Paul R. Sellin. 1974. "The Hidden God: Reformation Awe in Renaissance English Literature", In: Robert S. Kinsman. The Darker Vision of the Renaissance: Beyond the Fields of Reason. University of California Press: p.147[3]

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

World Drama, Allardyce Nicoll, 1949. p 164.

H.J. Schutte and G.J. De Klerk. 1987. Den Spieghel der Salicheit van Elckerlijc. Pretoria: HAUM-Literêr Uitgewers.

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

Die Burger 8 April 1927.

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