Since its Golden Age, Spanish drama has evolved in considerably unintended and unexpected ways with the contemporary playwrights of any present time engaging in experimental forms and treating current political issues intended to modernize, reformulate, and re-conceptualize the State and the stage. This reference includes alphabetically arranged entries on 33 Spanish dramatists from the eighteenth century to the present. Some of these figures have been translated, anthologized, and studied for centuries; others remain known chiefly to specialists; still others are active in contemporary theater and draw critical interest for their innovative work.

Each of the entries is written by an expert contributor and provides an overview of the dramatist's life and art. Each includes a brief biography; a discussion of works, themes, and dramaturgy; an overview of the critical and scholarly response to the playwright's productions; and primary and secondary bibliographies. As a whole, the volume highlights trends, movements, and historical contexts related to modern Spanish drama. A lengthy introductory essay overviews the history and development of Spanish drama since the Golden Age, and extensive bibliographies conclude the work.