Out of the Archive and Onto the Stage: Re-visioning Early Modern Histories

Evelyn Reidy

Out of the Archive and Onto the Stage: Re-visioning Early Modern Histories

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

Abstract

Recent years have seen an explosion of new dramatic work exploring early modern English history, ranging from more “serious” works of historical representation to raucous musical celebrations, and including such hits as Emilia (2018), Six (2017), Nell Gwynn (2015), and the Wolf Hall trilogy (2013). Such plays are often touted as the “unheard” story of a person relegated to the footnotes of history (e.g., Aemilia Bassano), or the chance to “remix” previously-held conceptions of historical figures, like Henry VIII’s ill-fated wives. But what is the reason for this dramaturgical turn to the 16th and 17th centuries for the 21st century stage? And, more importantly, whose stories are being told, and who continues to be excluded from the grand narrative of early modern English history?

Drawing on work by Emma Whipday, Lucy Munro, and Clare McManus (among others), this paper explores the creative, intellectual, and ethical issues that result from telling the stories of the past for the modern audience. Taking Adrienne Rich’s theory of writing as “re-visioning” as a creative-critical starting point, I ask: What duty do we owe to the dead whose stories we tell and how, in telling these stories, might we imagine a better future?

Original language	English
Publication status	Unpublished - Jun 2022
Event	British Graduate Shakespeare Conference: The 24th Annual BritGrad Conference - Duration: 23 Jun 2022 → 25 Jun 2022

Conference

Conference	British Graduate Shakespeare Conference
Abbreviated title	Britgrad
Period	23/06/22 → 25/06/22

Cite this

@conference{93999905b5284bcb801b2311afac0b35,

title = "Out of the Archive and Onto the Stage: Re-visioning Early Modern Histories",

abstract = "Recent years have seen an explosion of new dramatic work exploring early modern English history, ranging from more “serious” works of historical representation to raucous musical celebrations, and including such hits as Emilia (2018), Six (2017), Nell Gwynn (2015), and the Wolf Hall trilogy (2013). Such plays are often touted as the “unheard” story of a person relegated to the footnotes of history (e.g., Aemilia Bassano), or the chance to “remix” previously-held conceptions of historical figures, like Henry VIII{\textquoteright}s ill-fated wives. But what is the reason for this dramaturgical turn to the 16th and 17th centuries for the 21st century stage? And, more importantly, whose stories are being told, and who continues to be excluded from the grand narrative of early modern English history?Drawing on work by Emma Whipday, Lucy Munro, and Clare McManus (among others), this paper explores the creative, intellectual, and ethical issues that result from telling the stories of the past for the modern audience. Taking Adrienne Rich{\textquoteright}s theory of writing as “re-visioning” as a creative-critical starting point, I ask: What duty do we owe to the dead whose stories we tell and how, in telling these stories, might we imagine a better future?",

author = "Evelyn Reidy",

year = "2022",

month = jun,

language = "English",

note = "British Graduate Shakespeare Conference : The 24th Annual BritGrad Conference , Britgrad ; Conference date: 23-06-2022 Through 25-06-2022",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - Out of the Archive and Onto the Stage: Re-visioning Early Modern Histories

AU - Reidy, Evelyn

PY - 2022/6

Y1 - 2022/6

N2 - Recent years have seen an explosion of new dramatic work exploring early modern English history, ranging from more “serious” works of historical representation to raucous musical celebrations, and including such hits as Emilia (2018), Six (2017), Nell Gwynn (2015), and the Wolf Hall trilogy (2013). Such plays are often touted as the “unheard” story of a person relegated to the footnotes of history (e.g., Aemilia Bassano), or the chance to “remix” previously-held conceptions of historical figures, like Henry VIII’s ill-fated wives. But what is the reason for this dramaturgical turn to the 16th and 17th centuries for the 21st century stage? And, more importantly, whose stories are being told, and who continues to be excluded from the grand narrative of early modern English history?Drawing on work by Emma Whipday, Lucy Munro, and Clare McManus (among others), this paper explores the creative, intellectual, and ethical issues that result from telling the stories of the past for the modern audience. Taking Adrienne Rich’s theory of writing as “re-visioning” as a creative-critical starting point, I ask: What duty do we owe to the dead whose stories we tell and how, in telling these stories, might we imagine a better future?

AB - Recent years have seen an explosion of new dramatic work exploring early modern English history, ranging from more “serious” works of historical representation to raucous musical celebrations, and including such hits as Emilia (2018), Six (2017), Nell Gwynn (2015), and the Wolf Hall trilogy (2013). Such plays are often touted as the “unheard” story of a person relegated to the footnotes of history (e.g., Aemilia Bassano), or the chance to “remix” previously-held conceptions of historical figures, like Henry VIII’s ill-fated wives. But what is the reason for this dramaturgical turn to the 16th and 17th centuries for the 21st century stage? And, more importantly, whose stories are being told, and who continues to be excluded from the grand narrative of early modern English history?Drawing on work by Emma Whipday, Lucy Munro, and Clare McManus (among others), this paper explores the creative, intellectual, and ethical issues that result from telling the stories of the past for the modern audience. Taking Adrienne Rich’s theory of writing as “re-visioning” as a creative-critical starting point, I ask: What duty do we owe to the dead whose stories we tell and how, in telling these stories, might we imagine a better future?

M3 - Paper

T2 - British Graduate Shakespeare Conference

Y2 - 23 June 2022 through 25 June 2022

ER -