Rohan Sengupta

One of the most interesting things about studying Renaissance drama is seeing how different writers explored the idea of a tragic hero. These are characters who seem successful at the beginning but end up losing everything because of their own decisions. Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus is a good example of this, and when you compare Faustus with Shakespeare's tragic heroes like Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear, you can see that they have a lot in common, but there are also some important...

When we think of infrastructure, we usually picture roads, bridges, airports, and power grids — the physical systems that keep society functioning. But every thriving community also relies on another kind of infrastructure that is less visible, yet equally essential: cultural infrastructure Theater is one of its oldest and most enduring forms. Throughout Curtains Up! A Historical Perspective on Drama, we've explored theater across civilizations — from the ritual performances of the ancient...

"The mask doesn't conceal it reveals. The things we wear change us." — Matthew Gregory We often think of a mask as something that hides who we are. You wear one to disappear, become anonymous, keep a secret, or avoid being seen. But after talking with performers from many different theater traditions on this podcast, I have come to believe the opposite. In theater, a mask can be one of the most powerful tools for revealing truth. It doesn't hide the performer. It reveals something that the...