They have existed everywhere and at all times. Mentions of wandering actors are found on Sumerian clay tablets, and on the walls of tombs of Ancient Egypt, and in Chinese manuscripts of a thousand years ago. Contemporary theater, literature and drama, not to mention the stage and circus, grew out of the art of itinerant comedians. And always and everywhere they did not fit into the framework and laws established by the secular and church authorities - they lived their own, special life …
OUR ROOF IS THE BLUE SKY
This was manifested with particular force in medieval Europe. The ancient world collapsed under the pressure of the new Christian religion and new economic relations. And along with him, all ancient art, including the theater and the circus, was consigned to oblivion. But people don't just want to pray and work. They also want to laugh and cry, wonder and admire, love and hate. And this opportunity - to experience vivid feelings in a short time of the performance - the show-men gave to everyone. And for a very reasonable fee.
In different countries, wandering actors were called differently: mimes, histrions, vagants, buffoons, jugglers, spielmans, minstrels, maskharabozes, kyzykchi, dandies … Each of these names has its own history, features of the repertoire, style. But they were all united by the fact that they were, in the words of one medieval poet, "beloved outcasts." They were really loved and their performances were watched with delight, generously paying with both applause and money.
STEPSONS OF HUMANITY
It was considered quite decent with a juggler or vagant to sit in a tavern, but no one would have thought of letting them sleep in their house. The fact is that the church authorities of those times considered this profession sinful, and their art - demonic antics. The church persecuted wandering comedians not only during life, but even after death: they were allowed to be buried on a par with suicides only outside the fence of the cemetery, on unconsecrated ground. Why? Because the relatively young Christian church fiercely fought against everything that went against religious dogmas and distracted human souls from fear of God and from serving the feudal overlord. And not only "witches" with "sorcerers" were burned in the fires of the Inquisition - wandering actors, who were declared the children of Satan and the Babylonian harlot, also went to them. Well, how to invite such people into the house? Just look, you yourself will fall under the disgrace of the churchmen and you will lose not only property, but also your life. And so it happened that for a whole thousand years, right up to the beginning of the Renaissance, the artists were sentenced to the road for life, from their first appearance on stage until their death.
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HOUSE ON WHEELS
The van was for the traveling comedians a whole world, their own planet, outside of which an alien and not very friendly universe stretched out. They lived here: they ate, slept, gave birth, grew up and died. The van was quite convenient transportation. In practice, it was a large cart without springs, but with a solid floor. It could accommodate five or six people, rarely more, since the tightness did not contribute to a favorable moral climate, and quarrels in such a team are especially dangerous. After all, the artists had to work every single day, performing the most complex tricks, which ordinary people considered impossible without the help of evil spirits. In these conditions, friendliness and even kinship, brotherhood by profession, were absolutely necessary.
The van easily turned into a stage. Special shields were taken out of it, covered with rugs or rags and attached to the back of the van or the reclining side. So the cart became a stage where violent and so attractive passions were played out.
UNIVERSALS
We can talk about the repertoire of the wandering actors for a long time. These were small plays that later gave rise to the comedy del arte, and the most complex compositions from acrobatic sketches, accompanied by juggling with all kinds of objects, and sketches on topical topics, and pantomimes with trained animals, and puppet shows, and much, much more. Performances demanded honed skills, so on the way from town to town, the comedians had to make long stops for rehearsals in the bosom of nature, away from prying eyes. They could not only not pay for the hack, but also beat them with sticks …
Where did the "population" of this little world come from? Basically it consisted of undergraduate students and … demoted priests. Often, children from the villages in which they performed were taken to the troupe: the boys were livelier and the girls were more gracious - the need was widespread, and life in a traveling circus theater guaranteed at least some kind of food. And in the center of the troupe, as a rule, there was a married couple - the owner, a jack of all trades, and his faithful assistant.
WORD AND DEED
They did not live in luxury. As Victor Hugo wrote, "a rolling stone does not grow with moss." But there was no poverty either. They earned money most often on holidays, including church holidays. When preparing the mystery performances, the church turned a blind eye to the "devilish" art of the booths, who gathered to serve the carnival in large artels and decently played out biblical scenes.
The adult participants divided the profits according to pre-agreed shares. There were no contracts, but breaking the agreement was considered an unforgivable crime, and few people dared to do that. In general, the relations between the different troupes were excellent and… paradoxical. From time to time they gathered at city festivals or fairs, and after the "full house", in some tavern, they agreed amicably how they would not meet again. The convention was carried out strictly, and if, nevertheless, someone violated it, then the court was administered by their own, and the punishment could be very heavy - up to the deprivation of life. It was considered very profitable to invite the troupe to the castle, especially if some baron or duke turned out to be its owner. Sometimes the stay in the castle was delayed for several months, but the payment “for the trouble” was worth it. The artists who earned a big jackpot could go to some distant land where they did not know about their profession, buy houses there and become decent peasants, artisans, or even merchant merchants.
OTHERS DON'T WALK HERE
The troupe lived as a single family. And although she did not abuse her “strict morality,” and actresses' side jobs as prostitution were not considered shameful, she still didn’t come to a dead end. The church did not marry comedians, but couples were always noticeable in troupes - if not matrimonial in the strict sense, then more or less permanent. They had children who, from the very first years of their lives, joined the acting brotherhood, becoming full-fledged citizens of this world. Their puppets were the same puppets that danced, fought and cried over the screen during puppet shows - and now the kid is already driving the puppet around the stage before the start of the performance, entertaining and attracting the most respectable audience … Life is a continuation of the game. Sometimes cruel, sometimes exciting. But always - a game that did not stop for a second,even when the simple scenery rolled up and the tired comedians calmed down in the swaying van. That is why the townsfolk were drawn to them, because they loved - and therefore they hated these strange comedians!
Nikolay Ugrin