mansion

mansion, scenic device used in medieval theatrical staging. Individual mansions represented different locales in biblical stories and in scenes from the life of Christ as performed in churches. A mansion consisted of a small booth containing a stage with corner posts supporting a canopy and decorated curtains and often a chair and props to be used by the actors in that scene. Mansions were usually arranged elliptically in the nave of the church. Appropriate architectural features of the church were also used as mansions: the crypt served as the tomb of Christ or as hell and the choir loft was frequently used as heaven.

With the advent of outdoor staging, the booths were arranged in a row across the back of a raised stage. The mansions for heaven and hell occupied opposite ends, and those representing earthly locales were placed between them. In another arrangement, the mansions were placed around the periphery of a courtyard or city square, with heaven and hell on opposite sides. Mansion construction also grew more elaborate for outdoor performance, especially for those representing heaven and hell. The heaven mansion was often bi-level, with the Garden of Eden represented on the lower level. That representing hell was sometimes built to resemble a huge demonic head, the mouth of which served as an entrance, spewing smoke and fire during a performance.