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Once again, the September deadline for Kalamazoo Medieval Congress session abstracts is fast approaching. This year the Congress organizers got the Call out late, so we're all a bit behind. The Medieval and Renaissance Drama Society (MRDS) still has openings in all four of its sessions: Persistent Myths and Contested Ground, I & II (2 sessions): These sessions will examine perceived/received notions about medieval and Renaissance drama and the difficulty in changing these notions, especially in textbooks. The session topic grew out of on-line discussion that occurred on the listserv REED-L in fall 2001. We welcome abstracts for short presentations (5-8 minutes) for a round-table format on issues related to this topic. Some things to consider might include but are not limited to the supposed progression of drama from church to street to theatre; the "myth" of the four English cycles; periodization problems; myths of the origins of performance traditions; incorrect notions that continually appear in textbooks; practices that perpetuate the myths; currently contested ground that appears in the guise of definitive knowledge regarding performance and/or plays; etc. One might also consider offering suggestions about how to bring an end to specific problems. Mummers, Mardi Gras, and Other Visiting Maskers (organized by Max Harris): Papers can be on any aspect of the tradition of house-to-house (or doorway-to-doorway) performances by visiting players (often, but not necessarily, masked). We're interested in the theatrical as well as the historical aspects of such performances. In other words, papers that explore the theatricality of modern house visit performance traditions are no less welcome than papers that work exclusively from medieval or Renaissance records. If you can establish credible links between modern performances and earlier traditions, so much the better. With Mummers Plays, Mardi Gras and Carnival traditions, Hispanic posadas (Joseph and Mary in search of lodging), Halloween/Day of the Dead, etc., there's a lot to choose from. (You can E-mail abstracts directly to Max at [log in to unmask] or to me at the address below.) Drama, Liturgy, and Ceremony in the Female Monastery (1 session): This will focus on new considerations of women's participation in dramatic practice in the Middle Ages. Papers might could be on edited texts of nuns' _visitatio sepulchri_ or other liturgical plays that are beginning to draw attention after long neglect or might bring forward new work that offers the possiblilty of relating plays and ceremonies to their specific contexts and the devotional and political life of a particular house. MRDS welcomes papers on any aspects of performance suited to these general topics. However, note that the abstracts for the Persistent Myths sessions should be for shorter 5- to 8-minute presentations for a round-table format. Please submit abstracts by September 15th (sooner is better) to me at the address below. E-mail submissions are preferred because we need to send the Conference Organizers for general sessions any abstracts not accepted by MRDS. If you send an abstract, remember to provide your name and affiliation, a title for your paper, your contact information (including phone and fax numbers and e-mail address), and your A/V or computer needs as required on the abstract cover sheet available at http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/Forms/avreq.html. If you want, just fill in the form and send it as an E-mail attachment. We look forward to your submissions! Gloria Betcher Gloria J. Betcher, Ph.D. Associate Editor, _Early Theatre_ Secretary/Treasurer, Medieval and Renaissance Drama Society Dept. of English Iowa State University 206 Ross Hall Ames, IA 50011 USA office: (515) 294-3026 home: (515) 292-5177 fax (515) 294-6814 Website address: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbetcher e-mail: [log in to unmask]