An Interview with Professor Emerita Dr. Roz Kerr

Dr. Rosalind Kerr’s English translation of Flaminio Scala’s Il finto marito (The Fake Husband, A Comedy) is being staged in New York City by Soft Brain Theatre Company, May 9-19. Dr. Kerr, who is Professor Emerita in the Department of Drama, spoke to Dr. Stefano Muneroni from her home in Toronto.

MUNERONI:

What do you treasure most of your time at the U of A?

KERR:

I treasure my time in the Department of Drama because I got to teach and get to know a wonderful bunch of students, some of whom I’m still in touch with today. I try to keep track of as many as I can and am delighted that several are having great artistic and academic careers across the country. 

MUNERONI:

You have been quite busy since you retired in 2012. Tell us about your latest accomplishments.

KERR:

I’m delighted that my translation of Flaminio Scala’s The Fake Husband, A Comedy (1618) is getting a NY production in a musical form. It was my graduate class at U of A where we first put on a production of it in which several students and faculty had starring roles. 

MUNERONI:

What does it mean to you to have your translation staged in New York City?

KERR:

It makes me very happy that this very funny comedy is having a new life after 400 years because it proves that the Italian commedia dell’Arte came up with some comic tricks that are eternal. 

MUNERONI:

What's next for you?

KERR:

I’m still researching the early commedia dell’arte actresses who became the first divas. Now I am working on how their theatrical innovations borrowed heavily from alchemic theories!

Get to know more about Dr. Kerr’s research on the actresses of commedia dell’arte: https://rosalindkerr.ca/about-2/

Learn about the Soft Brain Theatre Company production of The Fake Husband, A Comedy: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/softbraintheatrecompany/1192785?#

Photo of Dr. Kerr supplied and used with permission.