Project Events
The Conference (22-23 March 2019)
In March 2019, The Dutch Courtesan 2019 project team, in conjunction with Poculi Ludique Societas (PLS) and the Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies (CDTPS) at the University of Toronto hosted a two-day conference on John Marston's The Dutch Courtesan at U of T's Robert Gill Theatre. The conference featured a keynote outlining the current state of Marston studies by Martin Butler, one of the general editors of the Oxford University Press Complete Works of John Marston, and a roundtable featuring Michael Cordner and Oliver Jones of the UK's York Dutch Courtesan production and project. Day 2 of the conference additionally included a performance workshop with members of the Toronto Dutch Courtesan cast.
The conference brought together Marston scholars, editors, and performers, giving them the unique opportunity to explore themes long considered crucial to Marston's play — its treatment of immigrants and religious minorities, wives and sex workers; its controversial morality and humour; and its use of accents — from a variety of perspectives and contexts, including discoveries made in rehearsal and performance.
See an overview of the presenters and abstracts, view or download the conference programme, or read more about our conference discoveries.
The Production (Rehearsals January-March 2019; Performance Run 19-24 March 2019)
As a Performance-as-Research (PAR) project, the centre of the conference was a Friday (21 March) showing of the PLS-CDTPS co-production of Marston's play based on a script prepared by organizers Helen Ostovich and Erin Julian (who are editing the play for the Oxford Complete Marston).
The production's modern costume and casting brought into focus how the play continues to speak to life in contemporary urban centres like Toronto and London, and how a play like The Dutch Courtesan can be staged to ethically represent the experiences of religious and ethnic minorities, women, and sex workers. We explored the resonances and gaps between the early modern and the modern.
Read more about our production audiences, the Oxford Dutch Courtesan, and the Marston network on our Production Exhibit, where you can also find production photos and videos, and additional learning resources.
Early Rehearsal Workshop and Public Reading (23 February 2019).
Additionally, we held a free, open rehearsal workshop on 23 February 2019, with members of the cast, invited scholars, and the public, followed by a public reading ofThe Dutch Courtesan. The workshop allowed us to present our work-in-progress and to gather key feedback and ideas that helped us to develop our production — while also giving the public a rare opportunity to see a non-Shakespearean comedy in action. Read more about our workshop and see photos from the evening reading here.