Spite for Spite: El Desden con el Desden

Spite for Spite is a new American translation, originally commissioned by the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, of the 17th century Spanish masterpiece El desden con el desden by Agustin Moreto, Calderon's most successful disciple. One of the most popular comedies in the classical Spanish repertoire, this witty battle of the sexes has been translated for the first time from the original Golden Age Castilian into clear and playable English verse, maintaining all the intricate rhyme schemes, elaborate wordplay, romantic poetry, and inspired foolery of the original.

When a man who finds himself irresistible falls for a woman who thinks herself immovable, the verbal and emotional fireworks fly, as he decides to woo her precisely by not wooing her, to fight fire with fire, or in this case, ice with ice - disdain with disdain, spite for spite.

With an introduction, bibliography, and full textual notes for actors and scholars by the translator, and original settings for the songs by composer Carl Smith.