John Blondell, 蜜桃传媒 professor of theater arts, and the cast of 鈥淭he Dido Project鈥� offer a Gender Studies Lecture Demonstration on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. in Porter Theatre. The talk, 鈥淟aid in Earth/Consumed by Fire: Female and Male Bodies in Two Stories about Dido鈥� takes its title from the final moments of the two dramatic plays being performed at 蜜桃传媒: 鈥淒ido and Aeneas鈥� and 鈥淒ido, Queen of Carthage.鈥� The event is free and open to the public.
鈥淭he talk looks at female and male bodies in these vehicles 鈥斺�� one an early Elizabethan play, the other a late 17th century Baroque opera,鈥� Blondell says. 鈥淏oth present provocative images of young bodies, and place the implications of the physical as important and active subjects of these two stage vehicles.鈥�
The talk will include an historical overview of how the body was conceived during the periods of the texts鈥� making, and consider ways of understanding the body in several key moments of the performances 鈥斺�� all along supported by actors and singers who鈥檒l play the scenes in question.
Blondell directs the two plays at Porter Theatre. 鈥淨ueen of Carthage鈥� is Thursday, Jan. 28, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 30 at 9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 6, at 9 p.m. 鈥淎eneas鈥� is Friday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for general admission, $7 for students, seniors and children, and may be purchased at . For more information, please call (805) 565-7140.