New England: Spoken Words, Embodied Words: A New Approach to Ancient Egyptian Theatre

Lecture Information

This lecture will delve into the enigmatic subject of ancient Egyptian theatre, a cultural aspect often overlooked in Egyptological scholarship. Drawing from her doctoral dissertation of the same title, Dr. Hedges will discuss the central themes, figures, narratives, and contexts of the extant dramatic texts from ancient Egypt—where they came from, who discovered them, and how they have been interpreted and transmitted throughout the fields of Egyptology and theatre history. This talk will also explore what an ancient Egyptian theatrical performance might have looked like, who the actors and audiences were, and what made this theatrical tradition unique from those that followed in ancient Greece and Rome.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Allison Hedges completed her PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, with a specialization in theatre history. Her dissertation, entitled “Spoken Words, Embodied Words: A New Approach to Ancient Egyptian Theatre,” encourages collaboration between theatre practitioners, theatre historians, and Egyptologists for a more holistic understanding of the ancient Egyptian theatrical tradition. Dr. Hedges received her BA in Theatre from New York University’s Gallatin School. She earned her MLA in Ancient Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, where she specialized in ancient Egyptian language, history, and culture. While at the University of Maryland, Dr. Hedges adapted and directed two ancient Egyptian dramas for the stage: “The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys” and “The Triumph of Horus.” She currently lives in the Washington, DC area where she teaches performing arts.