Recuperación de la memoria histórica en la obra teatral de 
José Sanchis Sinisterra ¡Ay, Carmela!
This MA thesis embodies a research undertaken relative to the play ¡Ay, Carmela !, written by José Sanchis Sinisterra, a Spanish playwright and theatrical director. Staged for the first time in 1987, ¡Ay, Carmela ! is considered one of the most important dramas created since the post-war era. This work, which gained international recognition, perfectly illustrates the consequences of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). By examining both time and space, as well as analyzing the characters of this play, the present research intends to prove that the manifestations through which historical memory is recuperated throughout the play ultimately transform it into the forerunner to the “Historical Memory Law” (Ley 52/2007, also known as the “Declaración de reparación y reconocimiento personal”).  Moreover, this thorough examination of the play will demonstrate within it a strong critique of the Pact of Silence signed during the Democratic Transition (1975-1978).  Two main methodological approaches will be used to do so: that of theatre semiotics (specifically the theories of Bobes, García Barrientos, Rubiera) as well as comparisons to the writings of P. Ricœur y de J. Derrida, which will help support the ideas related to the memory, the forgetting and the forgiveness. Finally, this Master’s thesis will end with a short comparative study between the aforementioned play and the movie ¡Ay, Carmela!, directed by Carlos Saura.
Carlos Saura Spanish civil war Pact of silence Memory and historical reconciliation Contemporary spanish theater Carlos Saura