In the Eye of the Storm Contemporary Theatre in Barcelona

Barcelona, the cultural epicenter of Catalunya, is presently experiencing the most dynamic and polemical period in its modern theater history. It is the commanding hub of an energetic theater scene that in recent years has witnessed an exuberant outpouring of new dramatists, a steady crescendo in theater attendance, and a continual increase in the international presence of Catalan directors, playwrights, and companies. The path along which the contemporary Catalan stage has struggled to recover and reconstitute the professional legitimacy and visibility that it lost during the Franco dictatorship has been a complex process. In the Eye of the Storm: Contemporary Theater in Barcelona describes the public and private dramas, crucial moments, and even some of the back stories that have shaped the theatrical life of the city of Barcelona in the aftermath of the dictatorship. It also considers at length several key companies, playwrights, theatrical works, and performances that have contributed in significant ways to the recuperation of the Catalan stage during the democratic period.

Sharon G. Feldman is Professor of Spanish and Catalan Studies at the University of Richmond, where she specializes in contemporary theater and performance. She is the author of Allegories of Dissent: The Theater of Agustn Gmez-Arcos (BUP, 1998) and co-editor of the collection Barcelona Plays. Her English-language translations of Catalan plays-including works by Carles Batlle, Sergi Belbel, Josep M. Benet i Jornet, Llusa Cunill, and Pau Mir-have been staged at venues in Great Britain, the United States, and Germany.