Manuscripts and Premodern Performance: Reassessing the Evidence

Medieval and Renaissance Drama Society

Leeds International Medieval Congress

July 3-6, 2023

The relationship between manuscript and performance in medieval drama has long been a subject of debate. Do extant premodern play texts bear witness to actual or idealized performances? What function did early drama manuscripts serve? What role should drama manuscripts play in determining our understanding of the world of medieval performance?

This session seeks 20-minute papers that consider the entanglement of manuscript and performance in medieval drama. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• The relationship between manuscript and performance in various performance traditions
• How manuscripts provide evidence of performance contexts or networks of performance
• The history and function of medieval drama manuscripts
• Codicology or materiality of medieval drama manuscripts

The Medieval and Renaissance Drama Society welcomes submissions that explore diverse medieval drama performance traditions. To submit, please email an abstract of no more than 100 words to Alexandra Atiya (alexandra.atiya@mail.utoronto.ca) by Tuesday, September 20, 2022. Along with your abstract, please include your name, email address, affiliation, and title.