Each year the Classics Department of Minnesota (CAM) invites a speaker to present at the University of Minnesota, St. Thomas, and Gustavus.

This year’s annual Classics Department speaker will be Doctor John Starks who is coming from SUNY-Binghamton University in New York. This will be taking place on Oct. 23, with the unique topic, “Lysioida: ‘Transgendering’ Actresses/Actors in Hellenistic Greek and Roman Theater.”

“For Classics students, it is fascinating because Professor Starks is bringing to light a largely unknown category of ancient theater performance.”—Seán Easton

Gustavus has been involved with CAM for decades, and has seen a multitude of speakers throughout the years.

This year Starks studies small fragments of commentary on a lost genre of dramatic song called lysioida. In these songs, male and female actors captivated their audiences with a display of gender indecisiveness. Starks takes modern dramatic art and compares this to ancient Greek and Roman gender ambiguity.

Associate Professor of Classics Seán Easton is very excited about Dr. Starks.

“For Classics students, it is fascinating because Professor Starks is bringing to light a largely unknown category of ancient theater performance. He is adding detail to a blank space on the map,” Easton said.

The Department Chair in Classics and Associate Professor in Classics Mary McHugh describes Starks.

“Dr. Starks has an excellent reputation as an engaging, interesting, and provocative speaker. The topic of his lecture will fascinate anyone interested in art, music, theater, gender and sexuality, comparative literature, and, of course, the ancient world,” McHugh said.

Sophomore Physics and Classics Major William Riihiluoma is excited to go to the speaker reflecting on how the Greeks and Romans pertain to us still today.

“The Greeks and Romans, more than really any other civilizations, truly left their lasting impressions on our modern society in both common philosophical themes, core cultural beliefs and traditions, and governmental systems,” Riihiluoma said.

This lecture is not just for students, but is also an educational outreach to the local community around.

“It’s important for our students to hear about cutting-edge scholarship in Classics and to be introduced to scholars in the discipline beyond our own department faculty,” McHugh said.

“The Greeks and Romans, more than really any other civilizations, truly left their lasting impressions on our modern society”— William Riihiluoma

Starks’ lecture, “Lysioida: ‘Transgendering’ Actresses/Actors in Hellenistic Greek and Roman Theater,” will be happening on Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m. in Confer 127.

There will be a cookies-and-punch reception for a Q&A session with the speaker after the lecture. If students have questions, they can contactMary McHugh at mmchugh@gustavus.edu.

-Christine Peterson