We are honored to welcome Dr. Carol Symes to Curtains Up. A distinguished historian, author, and theater scholar, Dr. Symes is a Professor of History and Medieval Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she specializes in the history of performance, communication, and the role of theater in shaping medieval and modern societies.

Her groundbreaking work explores the intersection of theater, politics, and the written word, shedding light on how performance has long been a vital part of cultural expression and collective memory. Dr. Symes is the author of A Common Stage: Theater and Public Life in Medieval Arras, and is widely recognized for her contributions to rethinking how we understand early drama and its enduring legacy.

In this episode, she shares her insights into the origins of European theater, the power of storytelling in pre-modern communities, and why understanding historical performance traditions enriches our contemporary stagecraft.