Conclusion

Although the Catherines and Claude slowly passed from memory, their performances and those of the women around them continued to represent their interests. The book concludes with an integrated portrait of women’s performance in fifteenth-century Metz that emphasises four significant themes: the production of history, collaboration, material and bodily practice, and continuity. The discussion traces interactions among the actions of the Catherines and Claude and explores the echoes of their practices over time. From a Pucelle character in the fifteenth-century Mystère de Saint Clément de Metz to a modern depiction of Joan of Arc at the church of St-Martin, female performance remained relevant to local constructions of identity and history. The section closes by suggesting that Performing women, having transformed female performance from “rare” to representative within Metz, offers a model for discovering the hidden histories of other urban centers and regions.