Celebrities and the stage: theatrical stardom in early modern Spain

[EN]This article seeks to apply a number of concepts and approaches developed by celebrity studies during the past decades in the field of early modern theatre. More specifically, I will focus on the commercial theatre that developed in Spain from the 1560s onwards. This dramatic practice represents...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: García-Reidy, Alejandro
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión enviada para evaluación y publicación
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
Repositorio:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
OAI Identifier:oai:gredos.usal.es:10366/150915
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10366/150915
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Early modern period
Spanish literature
Actors and actresses
Celebrities
5506.13 Historia de la Literatura
6203.10 Teatro
Descripción
Sumario:[EN]This article seeks to apply a number of concepts and approaches developed by celebrity studies during the past decades in the field of early modern theatre. More specifically, I will focus on the commercial theatre that developed in Spain from the 1560s onwards. This dramatic practice represents a privileged vantage point from which to observe how a number of key dynamics related to celebrity culture came into play within the context of early modern society, as the characteristics of this business and its cultural impact allowed for the emergence of processes of celebrification among performers. This study focuses on the characteristics of this theatre that made it possible for an early modern version of celebrity to emerge, such as the large role that actresses played in its success or the contact with performers that a wide variety of audiences enjoyed all along the country. I also analyse how actors and actresses were subject to forces of commodification, eroticization and the public's attention to their private lives, which led them to become early modern stars.