The Program in Cultures, Civilizations, and Ideas is pleased to announce an upcoming talk by Dr. Emily Glider entitled: “How Chances It They Travel?”: Mapping Itinerant Theater in Early Modern Europe. There will be refreshments served. We look forward to seeing you there.
Date: Monday, February 24
Time: 12.30-13.30
Location: G 160
Abstract:
Itinerant theater has long been represented as a “chance” affair: troupes of “wandering” or “strolling” players performing on an opportunistic basis at various courts, cities, and trade fairs across early modern Europe. However, when situated within wider international networks of diplomatic and trade relations, we can see that the movements of itinerant actors were strategic. Traveling players on tour formed connections with influential politicians in their host countries, and their patrons made use of these relationships in various ways to advance their own interests. This talk examines the 1585 European tour of the early English acting company Leicester’s Men, tracing the entangled economies of theatrical and diplomatic representation at a charged moment of international tensions and alliance-building that marked the early stages of the Dutch revolt. The talents of itinerant players served as a vehicle for strategies of cultural diplomacy and building soft power in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
Bio:
Emily Glider received her PhD in English literature from Yale University and is currently serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Boston University. Her current book project, Geopolitical Players: Diplomacy, Trade, and English Itinerant Theater in Early Modern Europe, examines early modern English theater companies touring the European continent in order to trace how they functioned as agents of cultural diplomacy and transnational exchange.