Professor of Theatre Sergio Costola presented a paper titled “Ferrara as a Mediterranean Hinterland: Text, Technology, and Ceremony at the Este Court” at the 28th Annual Mediterranean Studies Association International Congress, held at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece from May 26-29.

Professor of Theatre Sergio Costola recently published an article titled “Farò raddoppiare li segni pubblici de gaudio et letitia per la terra et per tutto. Lucrezia Borgia and Her Theatre of Diplomacy (1509–1512)” in Storie e Linguaggi 11.2 (2025). The article examines Lucrezia Borgia’s diplomatic activity during the wars of the early sixteenth century, showing how the courtly receptions, musical performances, dances, and fashion spectacles she organized in Ferrara functioned not merely as displays of power but as active instruments of political negotiation and mediation. The article is available open access here.

Professor of Theatre Sergio Costola published an essay entitled “Lucrezia Borgia Triumphal Chariot: Notes on Performance Documentation” in Skenè. Journal of Theatre and Drama Studies,  10.1 (2024): 61-80, Memory and Performance, Classical Reception in Early Modern Festivals. The Monographic Section was edited by Francesca Bortoletti, Giovanna Di Martino, and Eugenio Refini. The essay can be read here.

Professor of Theatre Sergio Costola was the keynote speaker for the International Conference “RAPPRESENTARE GLI ESTE. La comunicazione del potere Estense entro e oltre i confini della signoria” in Ferrara, Italy from May 23-25.

Professor of Theatre and Dean of the Faculty Sergio Costola, JaimeLynn Hotaling ’23, and Maisie Jones ’23 presented a paper titled “Undergraduate Research and Theatre: Lessons Learned during the Pandemic” at the 2023 ConnectUR Annual Conference, held June 26-28 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.