mystery play

American  

noun

1. a medieval dramatic form based on a Biblical story, usually dealing with the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

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mystery play British  

noun

1. (in the Middle Ages) a type of drama based on the life of Christ Compare miracle play

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Etymology

Origin of mystery play

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

At Village Theatre, he directed several shows, including the mystery play “Sleuth.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 8, 2019

But right on the money, somehow, is a medieval mystery play accompanied by a motley assembly of early-form lutes, flutes and bagpipes.

From Washington Post • Dec. 6, 2016

‘Abyss’ In the German playwright Maria Milisavljevic’s poetic mystery play about a missing woman, any fixed sense of self – in terms of nationality, personal history and relationships familial and sexual – is under siege.

From New York Times • Nov. 27, 2015

In its own way, it's a great medieval mystery play.

From The Guardian • Aug. 15, 2011

The procession was followed, inside the church, by a curious combination of ritual office and mystery play, the text of which, according to the Ordo processionis asinorum secundum Rothomagensem usum, is given in Du Cange.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5 "Fleury, Claude" to "Foraker" by Various