Enemy Treasures: The Making and Marketing of Spanish Comedia in the Amsterdam Schouwburg

The establishment in 1638 of Amsterdam’s first public theatre venue, the Schouwburg, caused a major enhancement and upgrading of local stock repertory. Spanish comedia was the new fuel. With Lope’s drama in the frontline, new Spanish plays and playwrights were brought to the Schouwburg stage in a kind of serial production. Crowds gathered for anything Spanish, and Spain’s victory over Dutch theatre life was complete even before the war was over in 1648. The paradox of Spain’s triumph in the heart of Dutch culture is centre stage in this contribution. Focusing on the time between the closing years of the Revolt and the subsequent peace between Spain and the United Provinces, this essay aims both at exploring the transfer route through Amsterdam’s Sephardic community, which facilitated so much successful import of enemy treasures, and at analyzing the public presentations that framed the Spanishness of the plays and playwrights as a new trademark for the Amsterdam theatre crowds.