Gothic Reading Group schedule

A classic moment in performance Gothic, Orson Welles’ adaptation of the H.G, Wells’ 1898 novel allegedly created widespread panic when it was aired and remains one of the greatest pieces of radio horror of all time. The novel and adaptation tell the story of an alien invasion, and Welles’ made of point of including realistic news bulletins to add authenticity.

February 10th – Jane Eyre
(2011 Cary Fukunaga film)
A widely celebrated adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s Gothic novel, this film stars Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre and Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester.  Beautifully shot, the film includes a virtuous heroine, a Byronic anti-hero, haunted spaces, and a madwoman in the attic

February 24th – Tropes in Television: Penny Dreadful, Over the Garden Wall, American Horror Story
Over the last few years television has opened new doors for ‘performance’ Gothic – we will discuss the popular contemporary Gothic shows Penny Dreadful, Over the Garden Wall, and American Horror Story, and invite participants to bring their own examples to the meeting.

March 9th – The Fifty Year Sword
By Mark Z. Danielewski
Our novel for the semester pushes the boundaries of ‘performance’ Gothic, employing unusual formatting and colors in order to create a truly meta-fictional text. Danielewski is perhaps most famous for his epic House of Leaves, and this work follows up on that style by facilitating an interactive reading experience which compromises one’s understanding of narrative and storytelling.

April 13th – The Revengers Tragedy
By Thomas Middleton
“This very skull, / Whose mistress the Duke poisoned with this drug, / The mortal cure of the earth, shall be revenged / In the like strain, and kiss his lips to death.” A proto-Gothic play, this Jacobian tragedy develops some of the most pervasive horror and Gothic tropes and redefines notions of performance, Gothic objects, and identity.  Think of it as Hamlet on acid.

April 27th – British Horror Radio
We’ll be looking at a selection of the best in audio British horror, more details TBA.

May 11th – Reimagining the Gothic: Drinks and Debrief
Following our interdisciplinary and creative event ‘Reimagining the Gothic: Monsters and Monstrosities,’ Sheffield Gothic will hold an informal ‘debriefing’ meeting for all those interested in discussing the last year’s work and planning for future events.

May 25th – BYOG- Bring your own Gothic

We want to hear from you! Bring your favorite example of performance Gothic for group discussion.

June 8th– Gaslight
(George Cukor’s 1944 film)

Do you know what’s real and what’s not? We’ll conclude our year by screening a classic Gothic film, adapted from a popular play. Ingrid Bergman’s stunning Gaslight also start Charles Boyer and Joseph Cotton, and coined the popular term ‘gaslighting’ as a terrifying, and particularly Gothic, form of mental abuse.