OFF-DAY ACTIVITIES
YORK PLAYS 2025:
AN INFORMAL SCHOLARLY CONFERENCE
On the day after the York Plays 2025 performances, Sun 8 June — or on Sat 7 June if the performances that day are rained out — CRRS and PLS, in conjunction with the Jackman Humanities Institute, will host an informal conference-style gathering at Alumni Hall, the main room in the Old Vic Building (the main building in the middle of Burwash Quad). NB: Since Off-Day events are built to counterbalance weather closures at York Plays 2025, be advised that the scheduled times of Off-Day events may be moved if shifts in the performances make such a shift necessary.
Registration for this event is now closed.
Assuming the June 7 performance does not get rained out (in which case, again, some or all of the Off-Day Activities listed here will happen on June 7 instead of June 8, possibly at adjusted times), play contributors and volunteers will likely be exhausted on the Off-Day! So, this will be a low-key, casual scholarly event. We unfortunately will not be able to provide refreshments at this event: on breaks, you’ll have to head out and grab food as needed.
10am - 10:50am: THE EDITOR SPEAKS
Opening remarks from Christina M. Fitzgerald (about 30 mins, followed by Q&A), the editor of our York 2025 text.
11am - 12:30pm: NEW VOICES PANEL
An hour of conference-style presentations, followed by a Q&A, from Tom Straszewski (Research Affiliate and PhD, University of York / Pageant Master for the UK’s York Mystery Plays), James Beard (MA Candidate, University of Calgary / Director of Clusters 5 and 11), and Savannah Lollo and Aria Kowal (MA Candidates, University of Toronto / Project Managers for York 2025 and, respectively, our Volunteer Coordinator and Wagon Designer).
12:30pm - 2pm: GO GET LUNCH WITH NEW FRIENDS
You’ve got 90 minutes — and since we don’t have support to provide refreshments on site, we encourage you to go try out one of the eateries on Bay Street or Bloor Street with new friends you’ve met at York Plays 2025!
2pm - 3:20pm: LIGHTNING SESSIONS/BREAKOUT DISCUSSIONS
GM Matt Sergi will organize a structured group discussion around a central question:
What present-day performance techniques, methods, technologies, and approaches are best suited to medieval-play revivals — can they honour premodern practices while still producing genuinely compelling live art?
For the first part minutes of this session, six Y25 directors and technicians will share brief, eight-minute informal perspectives on this question: Phoenix Gonzalez, Dennis Jerz, Lauren Mancia, Matt Sergi, Carol Symes, and Kyle A. Thomas. For the remaining half hour, each speaker will go off with a small breakout group and either discuss their techniques further or offer a demonstration.
3:30pm - 6:30pm: PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP
(sponsored by the Jackman Humanities Institute)
The University of Toronto’s Jackman Humanities Institute is flying in two specialists from the Viewpoints Institute, Sophia Treanor and Deborah Black, to lead a physical theatre workshop exclusively for Y25 participants, geared toward applying Mary Overlie’s Six Viewpoints to premodern performance revivals. The Six Viewpoints are founded on techniques that break performance-makers out of the received traditional habits of modernity; they can be, as a result, especially useful in training present-day performers to bring premodern drama to life.
Once we have a clearer idea of how many participants plan to attend this workshop, we will have more information on how, and where, it will be organized. We’ll likely split into two large groups (weather permitting, we hope to hold some part of it outside).
6:30pm - 6:45pm: VERY BRIEF CLOSING REFLECTIONS
GM Matt Sergi will close the day by offering very brief closing reflections on the workshop and on Y25 as a whole (including ample thank yous where they are due).