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Ellen MacKay is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. Her research interests revolve around Renaissance and Early Modern Literature, Digital Humanities, and Drama/Theater Performance Studies. MacKay's scholarly work focuses on early modern English theatre, exploring themes of performance history and the intersections of ephemeral and material cultures. She examines how theatre engages with notions of memory and cultural heritage, particularly through her book 'Persecution, Plague, Fire: Fugitive Histories of the Stage in Early Modern England'. Her research delves into how historical moments resonate within the theatre's telling, revealing the nuanced knowledge registers that the performing arts interrogate. She has directed the Institute for Digital Arts and Humanities and has participated in workshops that bridge early modern studies with digital methodologies. MacKay also teaches courses that reflect her academic interests, such as the multifaceted nature of comedic works by Shakespeare and the social dynamics present in early modern plays. Her current projects include examinations of audience engagement and social formations within the context of early modern theatrical practices.
Department of Philosophy