Staging Violence explores gender violence in Spanish early modern short theater. This book deals with domestic violence against women, extortion of prostitutes, and violence against men who display non-conventional forms of masculinity. The author argues that many "jacaras" and "entremeses" stage subversive discourses that repudiate or complicate official narratives of gender and the use of violence as a tool for achieving gender compliance. Short comic pieces are read against comedias. Each section of the book is expertly contextualized through an overview of the legal and moral contexts and the analysis of a variety of primary sources (law codes, manuals of conduct, church rulings, transcripts of civil and religious trials, and medical manuals) as well as statistical information. Staging Violence invites the reader to consider the transgressive potential of performance. As the first monograph entirely dedicated to the study of gender in this genre, this book is a vital resource for students and scholars interested in gender studies and theatre.

Staging Violence explores gender violence in Spanish early modern short theater. This book deals with domestic violence against women, extortion of prostitutes, and violence against men who display non-conventional forms of masculinity. The author argues that many "jacaras" and "entremeses" stage subversive discourses that repudiate or complicate official narratives of gender and the use of violence as a tool for achieving gender compliance. Short comic pieces are read against comedias. Each section of the book is expertly contextualized through an overview of the legal and moral contexts and the analysis of a variety of primary sources (law codes, manuals of conduct, church rulings, transcripts of civil and religious trials, and medical manuals) as well as statistical information. Staging Violence invites the reader to consider the transgressive potential of performance. As the first monograph entirely dedicated to the study of gender in this genre, this book is a vital resource for students and scholars interested in gender studies and theatre.

This collection of original new essays focuses on the many ways in which early modern Spanish plays engaged their audiences in a dialogue about abuse, injustice, and inequality. Far from the traditional monolithic view of theatrical works as tools for expanding ideology, these essays each recognize the power of theatre in reflecting on issues related to social justice. The first section of the book focuses on textual analysis, taking into account legal, feminist, and collective bargaining theory. The second section explores issues surrounding theatricality, performativity, and intellectual property laws through an analysis of contemporary adaptations. The final section reflects on social justice from the practitioners' point of view, including actors and directors. Social Justice in Spanish Golden Age Theatre reveals how adaptations of classical theatre portray social justice and how throughout history the writing and staging of comedias has been at the service of a wide range of political agendas.

This collection of original new essays focuses on the many ways in which early modern Spanish plays engaged their audiences in a dialogue about abuse, injustice, and inequality. Far from the traditional monolithic view of theatrical works as tools for expanding ideology, these essays each recognize the power of theatre in reflecting on issues related to social justice. The first section of the book focuses on textual analysis, taking into account legal, feminist, and collective bargaining theory. The second section explores issues surrounding theatricality, performativity, and intellectual property laws through an analysis of contemporary adaptations. The final section reflects on social justice from the practitioners’ point of view, including actors and directors. Social Justice in Spanish Golden Age Theatre reveals how adaptations of classical theatre portray social justice and how throughout history the writing and staging of comedias has been at the service of a wide range of political agendas.

Agustin Moreto (1618-1669) was one of the most acclaimed playwrights of the Spanish Golden Age, his fame equaling that of authors such as Calderon de la Barca, Tirso de Molina and Lope de Vega. However, and in spite of the appreciation modern critics have expressed for his work, only two of Moreto's famous plays -"El lindo don Diego" and "El desden, con el desden"- are available in modern editions. The present volume is a critical edition of "Los enganos de un engano," one of many Golden Age comedies left unpublished for many years until now. It is a supremely conventional play, featuring archetypical issues and characters, and is thus of particular interest for the study of the genre, since until now many assumptions about Spanish baroque theater have been based upon analysis of highly sophisticated plays that might be regarded as exceptions rather than the general rule. Since most of the plays familiar to a seventeenth century audience were more similar to "Los enganos de un engano" than to "La vida es sueno," the edition and availability of texts such as this will undoubtedly contribute to a most necessary revision of current theories on Golden Age comedy. The modern reader wishing to become acquainted with baroque theatre will find here an excellent starting point, as this is a typical "cloak and dagger" comedy, including all the basic elements of the genre expressed with the formal and linguistic simplicity characteristic of Moreto's texts. "Los enganos de un engano" is a delicious drama of love and jealousy, full of identity confusion, lies, duels, ladies in love, brave suitors, joking servants, and a father obsessed about his honor. Stage action and logical reasoning create tangles that keep the spectator (or reader) fully engaged until the end. Tania de Miguel Magro's ample and detailed notes take into account the expectations and needs both of the Spanish student and of the specialized critic, while the foreword provides a general understanding of the times, the genre and the author, as well as analysis and interpretation of the play. A basic bibliography prompts the reader to continue his research. This edition constitutes a great basis for a fresh approach to Spanish Golden Age courses, and suggests interesting comparisons between the realities of the 17th century (as depicted in this play) and the more idealized images provided by more sophisticated and literary plays of that time.