The social impact of horses in nineteenth-century theatre will be discussed at a free lecture with Professor Kim Marra from the University of Iowa on Friday, April 4. The event, “Riding the Nineteenth Century: Théâtre Equestre Zingaro’s Historical Performances,” begins at 3:30 p.m. in 1210 McClung Tower, 1115 Volunteer Boulevard.
Marra is a professor of theatre arts and American studies whose training and experience with equestrian triathlons put her in a unique position to discuss cross-species relations within theatre and history.
In her lecture, she will explore the work of the internationally recognized Théâtre Equestre Zingaro, a modern-day French theatre troupe of humans and horses whose performances are reminiscent of romantic-era theatre, when horses were common in performances. Marra will discuss how equines intensified and complicated nineteenth-century gender, sexual, racial, and class dynamics by referencing Zingaro’s lifestyle and performance process.
Marra has written and co-edited several works, including Strange Duets: Impresarios and Actresses in the American Theatre, 1865–1914, which won the 2008 Joe A. Callaway Prize for Best Book on Drama or Theatre. She serves on the editorial boards of the University of Iowa Press, the Theatre in the Americas Series of Southern Illinois University Press, and Theatre History Studies, as well as on the Publications Committee of the American Theatre and Drama Society.
Marra’s visit is hosted by the Nineteenth-Century British Research Seminar, which is funded by The Humanities Center. For more information, visit the Humanities Center website.
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C O N T A C T :
Kat Powell (865- 974-3847, kpowel20@utk.edu)