Join writer and academic Dr Penelope Woods as she presents in relation to the Memento Mori exhibition.

The mimetic stakes are particularly high when it comes to playing dead on stage. As the character Lisideius says in Dryden’s Essay of Dramatick Poesie (1668): ‘I have observed that in all our tragedies, the Audience cannot forbear laughing when the Actors are to die: ‘tis the most Comicke part of the whole play’ (39-40).

This talk considers the place and function of death in early English theatre and the relationship between theatrical death and the memento mori tradition.

Penelope Woods is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions (ARC EHE) at the University of Western Australia. She specializes in theatre audience research and reconstruction practices.

Her PhD research into spectatorship and architecture was carried out in collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe.

This talk will be introduced by Professor Bob White, Chief Investigator, ARC EHE.

Campus Partner:

The campus partners for the exhibition Memento Mori is the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions.

Getting to the Gallery:

• The Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery is located on the corner of Stirling Highway and Fairway, at the grounds of The University of Western Australia (UWA).
• Car: Ticket parking is available on campus off Fairway, next to the Gallery, in the University carpark number 20. ACROD permit holders can park on Fairway section.
• Public transport:Transperth operates several services to campus. Visit the UWA website for more details.

Accessibility:

• The Gallery is accessible by wheelchair.
• A manual wheelchair is available for visitor use, free of charge from the Gallery reception.
• Accessible restrooms are also available.