Theatre and democracy emerged, closely linked, two thousand five hundred years ago in Athens. They were preceded by tragedy, born out of the Dionysian festivities. Part of the development of theatre and democracy, it provided the philosophical seed that gave voice to contradiction, pain and suffering. This nexus gave rise to a reflection that has continued to this day, about exile, identity and belonging. At this session we will find out in depth about this ancient genre and its relationship to our own time from Victoria Szpunberg, winner of the 2026 Max award for Best Theatrical Author, for La tercera fuga, and 2025 National Dramatic Literature Award for El imperativo categórico, in an interview with Hispanist scholar Helena Buffery.
