Early Modern Drama in Modern Cultural Politics

Early Modern Drama in Modern Cultural Politics: The Afterlives of Spanish Golden Age Theatre examines how Spanish Golden Age theatre has been repeatedly appropriated, reinterpreted, and debated in modern cultural and political contexts. From the nineteenth century to the present, plays by authors such as Cervantes, Lope de Vega, and Calderón have served as powerful symbols in discussions of national identity, cultural heritage, and political ideology.

Combining literary analysis with theatre history and performance studies, the book explores how early modern works have lived beyond the page through staging, criticism, and institutional promotion. Drawing on archival materials, press sources, and production histories, it reconstructs the modern reception of key plays including Numancia, Fuenteovejuna, and stage adaptations of Don Quixote.

Through a series of detailed case studies, the book shows how Golden Age drama continues to shape cultural institutions, theatrical practice, and public discourse in Spain and internationally. By placing Spanish classical theatre within broader debates about cultural memory, nationalism, and the politics of the canon, this study offers a new perspective on the enduring significance of early modern drama.

Julio Vélez-Sainz is Full Professor of Spanish Literature at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, where he co-directs the Seminar of Theatre Studies. A specialist in Spanish Golden Age theatre, its modern reception, and the cultural politics of the literary canon, he has held visiting appointments at Yale University, Brown University, and the University of Chicago. He is the author of nine monographs, eight critical editions, and more than 140 articles and book chapters. He served as director of the Instituto del Teatro de Madrid (2016–2024) and is President ad honorem of the Asociación Internacional de Teatro Español y Novohispano de los Siglos de Oro (AITENSO).