Aphra Behn (1640-1689) and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-1695) are among the very few playwrights of the Seventeenth century whose works are still frequently performed today. Although they came from vastly different milieu (Restoration London and Colonial Mexico City), their works feature the same ability to master the dramatic conventions of their time but also to strong will to subvert those conventions with strong women’s perspectives on those same frameworks. As it happens, The Rover (1677) and Los Empeños de una casa (1683) were written within a few years from each other, both take place in Spanish territories (The Kingdom of Naples was a Spanish Vice-royalty at the time, just like Mexico) and both follow similar plot lines. As we studied those plays in the courses DRST 4619 and SPA 4605, the idea emerged to create a show joining scenes of both texts. We hope you will find this conversation between Juana and Aphra as entertaining, rewarding and illuminating as we did!
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