2026 Conference

Los Angeles: September 17-19, 2026

Welcome to Los Angeles!

AHCT will hold its Annual Spanish Golden Age Theater Symposium on the beautiful campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in conjunction with the LA Escena Los Angeles Festival of Hispanic Classical Theater in September 2026.

AHCT boasts a proud nearly 40-year history of supporting performances of early modern Spanish plays at the Chamizal International Siglo de Oro Drama Festival held annually at the Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, Texas from 1979 to 2019. Sadly, the festival was discontinued in 2020 and has not revived. AHCT now continues its mission to encourage the performance of Spain’s classical theater in Spanish and in translation with our efforts to support festivals and companies that stage these plays in other venues and in exciting ways to reach new audiences. This year we are pleased to again collaborate with UCLA’s Diversifying the Classics project and their 5th biennial Festival of Hispanic Classical Theater!

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Barbara Fuchs will deliver the plenary lecture at the conference. Dr. Fuchs is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at UCLA with a joint appointment in the English department. As part of her commitment to the public humanities and collaborative work, she directs the UCLA “Diversifying the Classics” initiative and edits the series “The Comedia in Translation and Performance” for Juan de la Cuesta. She is also director of LA Escena, Los Angeles’ biennial festival of Hispanic classical theater, founded in 2018. 

All 2026 conference sessions will be held on campus in Rolfe and Royce halls, just a 25-minute walk to the UCLA Nimoy Theater. On UCLA’s campus, you might want to visit the Fowler Museum of Cultural History, the Meteorite Museum, the Mathias Botanical Garden, or the Hammer Museum of contemporary art and the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden. Other nearby attractions include the Getty Center, the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, and the Griffith Observatory.

Conference Webpage Menu:

Please direct any questions about the conference to the AHCT Vice President for Conferences.

Call for Papers

The Association for Hispanic Classical Theater (AHCT) invites submissions for its 2026 Symposium, to be held Sep. 17-19 in Los Angeles, CA in conjunction with the LA Escena festival. The Association seeks proposals for papers or special sessions related to Siglo de Oro plays. We encourage studies on performance aspects and other topics related to Spanish Golden Age theater.

SUBMISSION GUIDLINES:

  • Abstracts should not exceed 250 words.
  • To submit an abstract, visit this LINK and fill out an abstract submission form.
  • The deadline for receipt of all proposal submissions is May 15, 2026.
  • Conference presenters must be members of AHCT. To join, please click on the Members Portal, select a membership level, and fill out the form.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM COMMITTEE:

  • Judith Caballero, Millsaps College, AHCT Vice President for the Annual Conference
  • Yuri Porras, Texas State University, AHCT Board Member
  • María del Pilar Chouza Calo, Central Michigan University
  • Robert Bayliss, University of Kansas, AHCT Board Member

CfP for AHCT LA Conference 2026

Submit proposals at this link.

Conference Pricing and Registration

Early Bird Conference Fees (before July 15):

  • Standard fee $85
  • Student fee $55

Late Conference Fees (July 16-August 15):

  • Standard late fee $100
  • Student late fee $70

Only auditors can register after August 15. Presenters must register for the conference by August 15 to participate on the program.

Conference Registration will open after June 15, 2026.

Hotel Information

Hotel Angeleno

AHCT has reserved a block of rooms at the Hotel Angeleno for approximately $207.99/night ($179 + taxes). This price will be available to the first ten rooms booked by AHCT conference participants until Monday, August 17, 2026. Use this booking link: Hotel Angeleno | Association for Hispanic Classical Theater | Booking Link.

The Hotel Angeleno is an 11-minute drive to UCLA’s Royce Hall, and the hotel offers a complimentary Uber service (1 round trip per room per day, mornings 7-11 am and evenings 4-8 pm). (A walk from the hotel to the conference venue is possible, but takes 45 minutes, nearly half of which is along the Interstate 405.)

Amenities include:

  • Complimentary continental buffet breakfast in the WEST Restaurant (for up to 2 adults per room). (Additional adults: guests aged 13+ will incur an add-on fee of $40 per night. $5 service fee per room per night will be applied to each room.)
  • Complimentary Wine Hour between 4:00pm to 5:00pm
  • Complimentary wireless internet access throughout the hotel
  • Fitness Center open 24/7
  • Outdoor Heated Pool; open daily from 8am-10pm
  • In room laptop-sized safe, mini refrigerator and coffee machine.
  • Complimentary Uber service (1 round trip per room per day) Morning 7-11; Evenings 4pm-8pm. Locations: UCLA campus, Getty Museum, Ronald Reagan Hospital, Westwood Village, Brentwood Village, Skirball Cultural Center.
  • Overnight self-parking $23 per night (lowered from $45).

Kimpton Hotel Palomar, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills

AHCT has reserved a block of rooms at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar for approximately $361.06/night ($259 + fees + taxes). This price will be available for the first fifteen rooms booked by AHCT conference participants until Thursday, July 16, 2026. Use this booking link: Annual Conference for the Association for Hispanic Classical Theater

Located one mile–a five-minute drive–from UCLA’s Royce Hall, the Kimpton Hotel Palomar is an easy 25-minute stroll to the conference venue. Guests can arrange with the front desk for a single rideshare drop off per day.

Amenities include:

  • Daily $15 voucher toward Hotel Restaurant or Lobby’s Grab & Go
  • Premium Faster Speed WiFi
  • PressReader Digital access to hundreds of Newspapers and Magazines
  • Digital Tablets loaned via front desk
  • One Rideshare drop off per day within 2-mile radius of hotel, arranged by front desk
  • 50% discount on EV charging with paid parking
  • Cellphone UV Sanitizer Case available upon request via front desk
  • Beach Kits loaned via front desk
  • Kimpton Bikes available to be loaned via front desk
  • Complimentary calls within Continental US
  • Complimentary business center computers available 24hrs
  • Overnight self-parking for guests $48+tax per day, unlimited in and out privileges
  • Overnight valet parking for guest $68+tax per day, unlimited in and out privileges
We encourage conference participants to check booking services and lodging apps early to secure less expensive housing options for the dates of the conference.

Hotel Information

Conference Program

The conference program will be made available online and in a PDF format to all participants after June 15, 2026.

LA Escena Los Angeles Festival of Hispanic Theater Schedule

The theater festival will feature performances by Paola Izquierdo of Historias amorosas no tan ejemplares (inspired by María de Zayas) and by Jóvenes Clásicos of Canciones de Olmedo and Calderón de la Barca’s Amar después de la muerte. (Photos of Jóvenes Clásicos by Daniel Pérez.) The festival schedule and venues will be available in July 2026.

Professional Ethics Statement

PDF of AHCT’s Professional Ethics Statement

The Hesse Grant Award

The Hesse Grant recognizes outstanding scholarship by graduate students working on early modern Hispanic theater and performance studies. This award sponsors a one-year membership to AHCT along with conference registration for the recipient to present their winning paper at the upcoming AHCT conference. This year’s submission deadline is June 1, 2026. More information is available on the Hesse Grant Award webpage.

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