John Given, associate professor and program director of classical studies at East Carolina University, will present the Winslow Classics Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 4 p.m., in room 3024 in the Taylor Science Center. The lecture is titled “Theatre as a Laboratory for the Humanities: A Classicist’s Tales of Directing Ancient Plays” and is free and open to the public.
Given received his bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and his master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, all in classical studies. He serves on the editorial board of the journal Didaskalia and has been a member of the American Philological Association’s Committee on Ancient and Modern Performance. Given has directed productions of Lysistrata, Menaechmi, Rudens and Oedipus Tyrannus. He has published on the musicals of Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz and Marvin Hamlisch.
Given’s areas of interest include identity performance in Greek tragedy and comedy and American reception of Greek drama. He believes that the theatre is a laboratory in which plays can be dissected and examined. Given will speak on the plays he has directed and what he has learned in his laboratory. His lecture is sponsored by the Classics department.
