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Kenneth Gross To Lead Petrou Seminar

June 28, 2010 English

Kenneth Gross, an expert on Shakespeare and Spenser (and puppetry), will give a lecture on Thursday, March 5, and lead a seminar on Friday, March 6.

Kenneth Gross (Univeristy of Rochester) will be spending two days at the University of Maryland for the 2009 Bebe Koch Petrou Lecture and Seminar. The author of four highly influential books, Gross's most recent publication is Shakespeare Is Shylock (University of Chicago Press, 2006). Gross has recently returned from a year as the Ellen Maria Gorrisen Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, where he has been studying puppet theaters. In addition to his scholarly work, he is active in theatrical production, having served as Dramaturge for the Holderness Theater in NYC from 1996-2003.

Petrou Lecture 2009On Thursday, March 5, Gross will deliver the Petrou Lecture, titled "The Madness of Puppets," in Susquehanna 1120 at 3:30PM. All members of the Department community are invited to attend. On Friday, March 6th, he will lead a revealing seminar on Shakespeare's Shylock. The seminar will take place in Susquehanna 3105 at 10:00AM. All are welcome to attend the seminar, but are asked to contact Abby Mulhollen to register and to obtain a copy of the readings.

According to his webpage, Gross is "interested in the inner workings of literary texts, both in themselves and as they form a part of a dynamic, ongoing history," and his vibrant approach to literature will be brought to Maryland this week. Stephen Greenblatt calls Gross's latest research project a "risk-taking, even obsessive plunge into the living character of Shylock." 

"The Petrou Lecture is always one of the highlights of the academic year, and this year's presentation will be no exception," says Department Chair Kent Cartwright. Last year's Petrou Lecture and Seminar was delivered by Joseph Roach of Yale University.

The Petrou Lecture and Seminar are made by possible by a grant from the John and Bebe Petrou Foundation.