El Teatro Cervantes de Alcala de Henares: 1602-1866: 18

In 1981, on the basis of documentary evidence, the authors identified the site of the first public theatre in Alcala de Henares, dating from the time of Cervantes. The building, which had been most recently in use as a cinema, showed evidence of four periods of dramatic activity: the original "corral de comedias", an 18th century horse-shoe amphitheatre, an elliptical amphitheatre of Roman period, and the cinema. Research in archives provided a wealth of documentation up to the 19th century, covering all aspects of theatrical life, from the original contract for the construction of the "corral" to documentation concerning the relationship between theatrical activites and the University of Alcala. The volume also includes an historical memoir written by Jose Antonio Rayon, who was largely responsible for the rehabilitation of the threatre in 1831.