THEATRE IN SPANISH LANGUAGE

Theatre in Spanish Language is one of the characterising courses for students who choose Spanish language and literature A or B in the degree Language, Civilization and the Science of Language, in each of the three curricula (Literatures and Culture, Linguistic, Philology and Language Teaching Research, International Politics).
It can also be chosen in the study plan as free-choice credits or as an integrative course.
The course aims to provide an approach to Spanish modern culture (from the 18th century to the present day) through theatre. We will study four dramatic plays from different cultural periods, with a selection of critical texts for the contextualization of the literary works and with the support of graphic an audiovisual materials for the spectacular dimension.

Knowledge and understanding
- Knowledge of the main features of cultural history in Spain from the 18th century to the present day and of the literary periods with their characteristics.
- Knowledge of the tools of theatrical analysis and their specific terminology, among the critical tradition.
- Knowledge of the required capacities to read and analyze critically texts in Spanish from the Neoclassical and Contemporary period.

Ability to apply knowledge and skills
- Place the dramatic text and the spectacle in their socio-cultural and literary context.
- Apply critically the tools of text analysis and the spectacle and discuss other critical opinions.

Judgement ability
- Self-evaluation of comprehension capacities in Spanish language.
- Critical analysis of literary texts (structure, linguistic aspects, relation with the culture of the moment and evaluation of their contribution to Hispanic, European and American civilization, etc.), autonomous judgement in the interpretation and discussion of critical sources.

Communication skills
- In both speaking and writing level (in Spanish), the course will give the ability to communicate with interlocutors (specialists and non-specialists), in order to provide information, express ideas, put and solve questions about Spanish culture and literature in a critical way, using the suitable terminology and making reference to suitable and updated bibliography.

Learning
- Plan the study of the provided material autonomously.
- Select the bibliographical and electronic sources in order to improve the knowledge of history of the modern Spanish theatre.

The course will provide autonomous learning, which will allow to carry out further studies in Spanish literature and culture.

Knowledge of Spanish language. Ability to analise and discuss critically the literary text.

1. The Enlightenment Theatre (18th century)
1.1. Leandro Fernández de Moratín's El sí de las niñas
2. The Romantic Theatre (19th century)
2.1. Ángel de Saavedra's (Duque de Rivas) Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino
3. 20th Century Theatre
3.1 Federico García Lorca's Yerma
4. 21st Century Theatre
4.1 Juan Mayorga's La dama boba

Required texts
1. Fernández de Moratín, Leandro, La comedia nueva. El sí de las niñas, ed. Jesús Pérez-Magallón, Madrid, RAE, 2015.
2. Saavedra, Ángel de (Duque de Rivas), Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino, ed. Alberto Sánchez, Madrid, Cátedra, last edition.
3. García Lorca, Federico, Yerma, ed. Ildefonso-Manuel Gil, Madrid, Cátedra, last edition.
4. "La dama boba" de Lope de Vega, versión de Juan Mayorga, Madrid, Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico (Colección Textos de Teatro Clásico, 31), 2002.

Additional readings
Canavaggio, Jean (dir.), Historia de la literatura española. IV. El siglo XVIII, Barcelona, Ariel, 1995 [pp. 1-21 and 89-118].
— (dir.) Historia de la literatura española. V. El siglo XIX, Barcelona, Ariel, 1995 [pp. 1-29 and pp. 77-96].
Pérez, Joseph, Entender la historia de España, Madrid, La esfera de los libros, 2011 [pp. 139-347].
Ruiz Ramón, Francisco, Historia del teatro español. Siglo XX. Madrid, Cátedra, 2020, 18th ed. [pp. 173-209].

Suggested readings
Albiac Blanco, María-Dolores, Historia de la literatura española, 4. Razón y sentimiento (1692-1800), Barcelona, Crítica, 2011.
Alonso, Cecilio, Historia de la literatura española, 5. Hacia una literatura nacional (1800-1900), Barcelona, Crítica, 2010.
Alvar, Carlos, José-Carlos Mainer y Rosa Navarro Durán, Breve historia de la literatura española, Madrid, Alianza, 1997.
Caldera, Ermanno, El teatro español en la época romántica, Madrid, Castalia, 2001.
Checa Beltrán, José, Razones del buen gusto: poética española del neoclasicismo, Madrid, CSIC, 1998.
— y Milagros Rodríguez Cáceres, Las épocas de la literatura española, Barcelona, Ariel, 1997.
Oliva, César, Teatro español del siglo XX, Madrid, Síntesis, 2002.
Romera Castillo, José (ed.), Tendencias escénicas al inicio del siglo XXI, Madrid, Visor Libros, 2006.
Sebold, Russell P., Trayectoria del Romanticismo español: desde la ilustración hasta Bécquer, Barcelona, Crítica, 1983.

[Please note: further materials will be available on Moodle during the lessons].

The verification of learning will take place in two modalities: 1) the verification of the active student participation during the lessons; 2) a final oral exam (in Spanish).

The course will combine theorical and practical lessons: the student is expected to prepare the required and additional readings, in order to discuss critically during the lessons.

Teaching language: Spanish

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