People
Who are The Moors?
Controlled Spain for 700 years and had a lasting effect on Spanish architecture and the arts.
Was religious drama present longer in Spain or Italy?
Remained in Spain longer than any other European country.
When were their works produced?
Majority after death.
(aka not in their lifetime.)
What were they originally called?
Comedies Nuevas
How many performers were in an acting company?
16-20 performers.
What marriage drove the Moors out of Spain?
The marriage of King Fernando of Aragon and Queen Isabel of Castile and Leon.
Define Auto Sacrementales
A religious play written for Corpus Christi that combined elements of medieval morality/ mystery plays, supernatural, human and allegorical characters.
What did female playwrights question?
The traditional view of gender roles, love and honor, and political authority.
Where were they performed?
The Corrales that were constructed in existing courtyards.
What was the major difference from English acting companies?
They had women, but there were restrictions.
Impact of Lope de Rueda.
The most popular performer of Early Spanish Theatre, performed in religious plays, managed his own company, then became an autor.
Why did the number of autos dwindle?
They began to include less religious characters and were prohibited for being too carnival-like.
Why/Who borrowed their works?
Yes, mostly by males because of their great awareness of theatrical traditions.
Describe the style.
Episodic, did not follow neoclassical ideals, supernatural, modern-day melodrama.
How did companies function?
They were organized by a manager who contracted performers for a specific period of time.
Describe Lope Felix de Vega Carpio.
Considered the Spanish Shakespeare, his goal was to please the audience, wrote in multiple genres, wrote The New Art of Playwrighting.
Who paid for the autos?
First trade guilds until the city took responsibility.
Impact of Maria de Zayas
The most popular female writer in Spain, paved way for future women writers/playwrights, the first women to write prose in the Castilian Dialect, her writing style allow her to critique the Spanish society.
What are the 2 types of commedias?
Capa y Espada (cape and sword)
Teatro/Cuerpo/Ruido (Theatre/Corpse/Noise)
Did they share repertoire?
No, each company had their own large repertoire of plays.
Describe Pedro Calderon de la Barca.
Where were autos performed?
Outside mounted on carros, began with 2 then increased to 4.
Impact of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz.
Was known for being increasingly intelligent, spoke multiple languages, wrote poetry, and studied Greek logic. She took an intelligence test and news spread that a female was actually smart. She defied the gender roles and stereotypes that were forced on her.
What was the major difference from Elizabethan?
Acting companies did not manage the theatre buildings, charities and the city did.
Who were they regulated by?
Local government and all the plays had to be licensed.