The 30th annual Medieval and Renaissance Forum will be held at Plymouth State University April 24-25. Plymouth-area and PSU community members are invited to attend free, informative sessions on a variety of topics ranging from Alchemy, Kabbalah and Dreams in the Middle Ages to the performance of Renaissance Drama. PSU Professor Karolyn Kinane said the event will be stimulating and fun.
"Where else can you participate in a live chess match, chain mail workshops, and archery demonstrations, then stroll down the hall to learn from renowned scholars about dreams, imagination, and fantasy in the Medieval and Renaissance eras," Kinane said. "This year, outstanding students and scholars from India, Ireland, Canada and all over the U.S. will share their latest research with PSU and the Plymouth-area community."
The keynote talk by Carole Levin, Willa Cather Professor of History at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, will be on "Haunting Dreams of Women in Early Modern England" and will be held Saturday, April 25, from 1:15-2:15 p.m.
Many events are free and open to the public. Tickets are required for the following events:
Friday: Lunch celebrating 30 years of the Medieval and Renaissance Forum at PSU; Planetarium talk celebrating the 400th anniversary of Galileo's discoveries; Ensemble Chaconne performing the Music of Shakespeare's Plays. This performance will be $12 regular admission and $9 students and seniors.
Saturday: Lunch preceding keynote talk; Medieval and Renaissance Feast featuring Roger the Jester. Kinane noted the Feast offers more than just food.
"In addition to authentic medieval and Renaissance foods, mead, and grog presented in a multi-course meal, we'll have the handwashing and knighting ceremonies and ribald entertainment from Roger the Jester," Kinane said. "This year we're also bringing a Venetian masquerade feel to the feast. Participants can decorate their own masks or draw from the batch of masks we'll provide. And as always, costumes are encouraged! It's a great way to unwind after so two days of lively intellectual exchange and debate."
Go to the Forum website for more information.