معرفی
Ellen MacKay serves as Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Chicago, specializing in performance theory and early modern English theatre. Her research bridges historical analysis with contemporary digital humanities methodologies, examining how theatrical practices intersect with cultural memory and knowledge production.
Her scholarly interests focus on performance epistemology and theatrical dissolution in early modern contexts. Key themes include the relationship between live performance and historical record, audience collectivity formation, and cultural heritage creation around absent Shakespearean remains. She explores these through courses like "Fear of the Copy from Plato to Plagiarism" and "Toxic Theatre: How to Do Deadly Things without Really Doing Them".
MacKay's recent publications reveal strong trends in digital humanities integration with traditional theatre scholarship, particularly in cultural heritage analysis and alternative historiography. Her work consistently examines spatial and material dimensions of performance while challenging conventional archival assumptions.
She previously directed the Institute for Digital Arts and Humanities at Indiana University and collaborates on digital projects including a digital variorum Hamlet with the NEH-Folger Shakespeare Library. Her teaching incorporates computational analysis of performance texts and digital criticism practices.
