About the Association

ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION

The Association for Hispanic Classical Theater, Inc. was chartered as a non-profit organization in 1984 to promote and foster greater appreciation for Spain's classical drama in production. An international organization, the Association counts among its members literary scholars, theatrical directors and producers, teachers, and other aficionados of Spain's Golden Age of Theater.

The Association maintains a rare collection of Spanish Renaissance and Baroque plays on film and videotape. The materials in the Association's visual library are available to its members and serve as resources for scholarly investigations, an invaluable repertoire for theatrical companies, exciting tools for the classroom, and delightful entertainment for the general public. A word of thanks is owed to the following benefactors whose contributions have enabled AHCT to carry out its mission:

Kara Dunn Armstrong Foundation
Everett W. Hesse Foundation
Ruth Parr McWhorter Foundation
Program for Cultural Cooperation Between Spain's Ministry of Culture United States Universities

The AHCT:

Videotapes dramas presented in the Siglo de Oro Drama Festival at El Chamizal National Memorial.
Maintains an archive of video-taped plays from around the world and makes them available to AHCT members for borrowing.
Has developed and continues to add to a series of videotaped lectures and studies of Golden Age drama available to AHCT members.
Publishes a catalog of the videotaped plays, lectures and studies for our members.
Sponsors and encourages live presentations of the Golden Age plays in English translation via the Walker M. Reid award.
Encourages members and others to create English-language translations of Golden Age drama by offering the Franklin G. Smith award to a translator who works with a stage company to prepare a production of the work.
Organizes sessions on comedia performance at the MLA and other professional meetings.
Links AHCT members via a newsletter, an e-mail list, and a website.
Maintains an electonic library of searchable and downloadable texts of more than two hundred comedias, autos sacramentales, and entremeses in Spanish, comedias in English translation, several useful biliographies, including a lengthy list of plays available in English translation, and various other teaching and study informational materials.
Assists members in the acquisition of grants pertaining to comedia performance.

Membership in the Association for Hispanic Classical Theater, Inc. is open to any interested person. CLICK HERE for information about how to join online or by mail. Dues are renewable annually in March. The AHCT is a 501(c)3 corporation; tax-deductible contributions in any amount are encouraged and appreciated.

THE KARA DUNN ARMSTRONG COLLECTION

In 1985, William D. Armstrong of Lubbock, Texas, inaugurated this collection in memory of his wife, Kara Dunn Armstrong, a teacher of Spanish who, during her lifetime had a deep and abiding interest in Spanish language, history, and culture. Mrs. Armstrong was a teacher of Spanish in the Lubbock Public Schools and at Texas Tech University. The number of films and videotapes in the collection has steadily grown since its inception.

Association for Hispanic Classical Theater, Inc.

Most recent update: 1 June 2009