▁Holy ▁Sep ul cher ▁were ▁ere cted ▁on ▁the ▁stages . ▁▁ ▁To ▁speak ▁of ▁actors ▁is ▁only ▁pert inent ▁to ▁the ▁plays ; ▁in ▁the ▁church , ▁the ▁r ites ▁were ▁performed ▁by ▁cler ics ▁and ▁mon ks ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁consider ▁themselves ▁to ▁be ▁acting ▁in ▁any ▁amateur ▁or ▁professional ▁sense . ▁A ▁director ▁of ▁sorts ▁arbitr ated ▁between ▁the ▁stage ▁and ▁the ▁audience ; ▁he ▁commented ▁upon ▁the ▁scene , ▁narr ated ▁pass ages ▁and ▁kept ▁order . ▁▁ ▁While ▁most ▁performances ▁were ▁limited ▁to ▁a ▁few ▁hours , ▁some ▁plays ▁could ▁reach ▁monument al ▁proport ions : ▁The ▁Pass ion - Play ▁of ▁Bol z ano ▁took ▁seven ▁days ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 4 , ▁and ▁the ▁one ▁st aged ▁at ▁Val enci ennes ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 7 , ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 2 5 . ▁ ▁Social ▁Context ▁While ▁lit urg ical ▁r ites ▁are ▁a ▁constant ▁in ▁Christian ▁life , ▁plays ▁are ▁not . ▁There ▁are ▁pass ages ▁of ▁European ▁history ▁in ▁which ▁plays ▁are ▁all ▁but ▁unknown . ▁The ▁medieval ▁city ▁was ▁a ▁performance - friend ly ▁culture . ▁C ler ics ▁and ▁trade ▁frat ern ities ▁encourag ed ▁stage ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁church ▁and ▁outside ▁of ▁it . ▁Am ateur ▁actors ▁were ▁rec ru ited ▁among ▁the ▁ranks ▁of ▁school bo ys ▁and ▁trade ▁app rent ices . ▁Top ics ▁performed ▁were ▁pre domin antly ▁taken ▁from ▁Christian ▁sources , ▁yet ▁com ic ▁and ▁contemporary ▁topics ▁were ▁om ni present ▁in ▁almost