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David Rodríguez-Solás Publishes Book on Theater and Performance in Post-Franco Spain

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The cover art of the book "Performing the Transition to Democracy" by David Rodríguez-Solás

David Rodríguez-Solás, professor of Spanish and director of Spanish and Portuguese studies in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, has published a book in Routledge’s Series on Advances in Theater and Performance Studies, “Performing the Transition to Democracy: Theater and Performance in 1970s Spain.” 

The book examines troupes, plays, festivals, performative practices and audiences active during the transition to democracy from 1968-82, which is considered the historical moment that most directly shaped contemporary Spanish politics and society. Rodríguez-Solás writes that the dominant narrative of the transition has long portrayed it as a normalized, non-confrontational and consensual process steered by political elites, but the world of Spanish theater tells a very different story – one in which ordinary Spaniards played a vital role in the transition to democracy.

The book draws on censorship files, photographs, audiovisual and textual material, as well as the author’s own interviews with more than a dozen audience and troupe members. Using these sources, Rodríguez-Solás examines the notable experimentation during this period with theatrical performance and music, the establishment of performing spaces and festivals, the development of touring networks as a way to evade censorship and the creation of networks of support that opposed diverse forms of violence and repression.

To purchase the book, or for more information and a free preview, visit Routledge.com.