Who breathed life into Spanish Golden Age theaters?
Portrait of Philip III by Diego Velázquez,
Acting under Pressure
Ana Caro's Valor, Agravio y Mujer (The Courage to Right a Woman's Wrongs) is predicted to have been written around 1609-1620. At the time, the King of Spain was Philip III (who was throned in 1598) who is said to have been continuously unfit for the crown as he never fulfilled any of his royal duties. Unlike his father, Phillip II, the king we speak of was not as thrilled with the arts. His focus lay more on continuously gaining more money by taxing his subjects in his monarchy. He also was an avid supporter of the Spanish Inquisition (1478-1834), where both "state and religious power" coincided into one with brutal power and tactics to convert everyone to Catholicism. This affected anyone who would not convert, including Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim communities.
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The theater was continuously censored by the Catholic church and it is important to remember the pressure the theater-makers were under. It was important for actors and playwrights to be careful with their messaging and ensure that they were in line with what was morally correct at the time. This shifted the culture and of course, had an effect on theater-makers of the time, worried that they themselves or their fellow cast-mates could be killed or thrown out.
Actors of the Spanish Stage
History has a way of asking us who is remembered and how. Extensive research in the records of the time shows that some Golden Age theater makers are memorialized in paragraphs upon paragraphs, while others only have a few words, and many with only their names. Who were some of these actors, and how are they honored?
Press the actor icon to explore who took the stage!
"For [ the actors] the business of the stage was an actual living thing, not a dead and dry tradition. But the sun had set, and...it was only a question of a little while when it, too, should disappear, and all be enveloped in darkness" (Rennert, 342)
- Hugo Albert Rennert,
Author of The Spanish Stage in the Time of Lope de Vega
Final
Thoughts:
How do we not only take inspiration from but
honor the actors of the Spanish Golden Age?
The records found on this website should be background information and inspiration found through honoring the many actors who came before us. It is also important to note that the people who kept these records were those with distinct power of the time, so many underrepresented voices and actors have been forgotten. In dramaturgy, it is important not only to understand the culture and pressures placed on theater-makers of the Spanish Golden Age, but also of their successes in creating art. In our own play, I hope that we can take a look at where history has been and how we wish to proceed with fervour in our own theatrical productions of the Spanish Golden Age.
About Me
Nina Renkert
Nina is a Junior at Skidmore College, studying to achieve a B.S. in Theatrical Arts, with a double minor in Spanish and Arts Administration. When approached by Dr. Lisa Jackson-Schebetta to research Spanish Actors in the Golden Age, Nina knew she had to take the opportunity. She enjoyed strengthening her translation and storytelling skills to help inspire her fellow castmates. In the future, Nina hopes to continue educating people and researching topics that interest her. Nina is very thankful to have joined Reyn in his dramaturgy and feels very excited to join the cast of The Courage to Right a Woman's Wrongs as Lisarda.
