Ramón de la Cruz

Cruz, Ramón de la (rämōnˈ dā lä krōth) [key], 1731–94, Spanish dramatist. He wrote tragedies and adapted French and Italian plays, but he owes his fame to his sainetes, some 450 masterly one-act comedies that depict the life of the middle and lower classes. His work freed the awakening Spanish drama from foreign influence.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.