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Esther Fernández

Esther Fernández is an Associate Professor of Iberian Studies at Rice University. Her research principally attended to visual and material culture in Early Modern Iberia.

 

ESTHER FERNÁNDEZ is an Associate Professor of Iberian Studies at Rice University. Her research principally attended to eroticism and the Spanish comedia; visual and material culture; and performance analysis of classical theater’s most contemporary adaptations. Her most current research is on animated props in ceremonial and theatrical contexts, where material representations of religious and ‘non-religious’ worlds took place in pre-modern Iberia and their contemporary legacies.

The view from backstage during a performance by the Dragoncillo Puppet Troupe, 2019
“We’re all mad here”
Essay

“We’re all mad here”

An Exploration of the Spaces of Puppetry

5 April 2021

Esther Fernández and Jason Yancey introduce their series, Where Puppets Move, sharing how the 2020 conference “Puppet Theatre: In the Beginning Were Puppets” at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre inspired their questions about reimagined performance spaces.

three actors onstage
Classical Theatre in Another Strange Land
Essay

Classical Theatre in Another Strange Land

3 September 2020

Esther Fernández talks about closing the gap that separates classical and contemporary theatre and discusses the piece En otro reino extraño, a polyphonic work composed of scenes from Lope de Vega’s plays; snippets of informal conversations between the actors in Zoom chats; poems transmogrified into electrocumbia, punk, and pop songs; and video montage.

two actors onstage
Who’s Afraid of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz?
Essay

Who’s Afraid of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz?

Transatlantic Performances of Los empeños de una casa (The House of Desires)

11 May 2020

Esther Fernández discusses how the emerging field of transnational studies is illuminating when it comes to early modern Hispanic theatre and uses productions of Sor Juana’s The House of Desires to dive into the topic.

Theatre History Podcast # 30
Podcast

Theatre History Podcast # 30

Dr. Esther Fernandez Introduces us to the Siglo de Oro Festival at Chamizal

24 April 2017

Dr. Esther Fernandez of Rice University talks about the Siglo de Oro Festival.

Where Puppets Move
A presentation during the Puppet Theatre conference in Salzburg, Austria, 2020. Philippe Brunner (center), director of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, displays one of the oldest puppets in the company’s collection, while Barabara Heuberger (left) describes the figure’s history and significance, joined onstage by Piero Corbella (right).
Series

Where Puppets Move

The events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have dragged performers into a sort of ideological rabbit hole, entirely dislocated from the artifice and audiences that comprise the more familiar theatrical experience.