La imagen de los negros en el teatro del Siglo de Oro , de Baltasar Fra-Molinero: Una piedra de toque de los estudios teatrales cumple treinta años

Abstract: This interview with Baltasar Fra-Molinero, author of La imagen de los negros en el teatro del Siglo de Oro (Siglo XXI Editores), contextualizes our reprint of one of its chapters, titled “El negro como objeto de risa: elementos de un estereotipo,” as a touchstone of comedia studies. In so doing, we reflect on the abiding impact of this book in the past three decades and its relevance for our fields today. The conversation was the closing event of an international research symposium titled Africa in Iberia. Memories, Genealogies, and Geographies in Early Modernity, which took place at the University of Arkansas on 2–4 November 2023. In the conversation, Fra-Molinero recounts how he began his academic career and explains the inspirations that launched La imagen de los negros . Along the way, he discusses his subsequent lines of research and the evolution of early modern Black Spanish studies. Baltasar Fra-Molinero also fielded questions from the audience, which we transcribe with their permission. The interview and questions have been edited for clarity and concision.