English professor publishes book review on Middle Ages essays in academic journal

Posted June 22, 2022 Print

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- Thiel College Professor of English Mary Theresa Hall, Ph.D. recently published a book review on a collection of ten essays in Volume III, No. 3 of the Fall 2021 issue of Performance and Theatricality in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, edited by Mark Cruse.

The essays Hall reviewed were sponsored by the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and they considered several medieval topics, including literature, music, drama, images, and pageantry, as well as subjects inherent in Renaissance theatrical performances, such as artworks, drawings, and prints. The intertwining nature of these various cultural practices lent an air of both authenticity and entertainment to issues relating to identity, marriage, power distribution, and crises of masculinity and patriarchy prevalent in both medieval and Renaissance societies. As editor, Cruse found 10 essayists who could each provide a scholarly and panoramic view of the role of performance and theatre and contribute to redefining these disciplines in the early European tradition.

Hall received her bachelor’s degree in English and secondary certification in English and French from Seton Hill University, a master’s in literature from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Ph.D. from Duquesne University. She has taught at Thiel College since 1999.