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.

Erin Alice Cowling is an assistant professor of Spanish in the Department of Humanities at MacEwan University.

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Tania de Miguel Magro is an associate professor of Spanish at West Virginia University.

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Mina Garcia Jordán is an associate professor of Spanish at Elon University.

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Glenda Y. Nieto-Cuebas is an associate professor of Modern Foreign Languages at Ohio Wesleyan University

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"The range and quality of the essays is impressive, as are the variety of approaches and points of emphasis."

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