Description
THEATER OF RESISTANCE
Book Summary
This book chronicles the epic and moving story of the resistance of playwrights Lauro Olmo and Pilar Enciso against the eviction from their home in 1972. Through a narrative that combines social commitment and neighborhood struggle, the work documents how a couple of intellectuals defied the authorities to prevent the construction of a department store on the site of their home. The reader will discover a testimony of dignity and courage that transcends the personal to become a symbol of the struggle for memory and justice in the context of the late Franco era.
What is it about?
On February 11, 1972, after four years of protests and a year living besieged among ruins, Lauro Olmo and Pilar Enciso were forced to abandon their home. In a final gesture of resistance, they painted the door of their home with the colors of the Spanish flag to appeal to a 1945 decree that protected national honor. This act of dignity, known as the "Numantia of real estate," became a symbol of the fight against urban speculation and repression. The work reconstructs this neighborhood battle and the authors' commitment to their community, showing how their intellectual integrity was manifested even in the most adverse circumstances.
Main themes
- Civil resistance and peaceful disobedience against institutional power and real estate speculation.
- Commitment of the intellectual to their community and defense of historical memory.
- Neighborhood struggle and citizen mobilization as tools for social transformation.
- Personal and family dignity in the face of adversity and eviction.
- Critique of the urban development of the late Franco period and its social consequences.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in the social and political history of 20th-century Spain, especially neighborhood movements and resistance during the late Franco regime. It is also recommended for students and professionals of theater, sociology, and contemporary history, as well as for those looking for stories of civic courage and the fight for justice from a testimonial and documented perspective.
What this book offers
- A unique testimony of the resistance of two key figures of the Spanish theater, showing their facets as activists and defenders of their community.
- A detailed vision of the strategies of civil disobedience and neighborhood mobilization in a context of political repression.
- A reflection on the role of the intellectual and the artist in the defense of historical memory and fundamental rights.
- An exciting and documented story that connects personal history with the collective struggle of a neighborhood.
- Valuable material to understand the dynamics of urban speculation and popular resistance in the Spain of the seventies.
Technical specifications
- Author: Lauro Olmo and Pilar Enciso
- Publisher: Documentation Center of the Performing Arts and D
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Plays, theatrical texts
- Collection: Non-collection
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: July 2025
- Number of pages: 309
- Weight: 1175 g
Editorial assessment
This work offers a narrative of great historical and human value, rescuing an episode of civic resistance that transcends the local to become a symbol of collective dignity. The narration combines documentary rigor with the emotional force of a story of personal and neighborhood struggle, making it relevant reading for those seeking to understand the forms of social resistance during the late Franco regime. Its testimonial approach and its ability to connect intellectual commitment with citizen action position it as an outstanding title within the catalog of studies on historical memory and social movements in Spain.