Dr. Eileen J. Doll does research on contemporary Spanish play texts, in particular those that deal with immigration issues in Spain, and other current social problems.

Spanish Theatre of Social Protest is Dr. Eileen Doll’s (Languages and Cultures Chair) latest publication, which brings to life her research on contemporary Spanish play texts, in particular those that deal with immigration issues in Spain, and other current social problems. Dr. Doll studied over 30 plays from 1989 to 2013, analyzing how immigrant characters were portrayed for the Spanish audience. Many of the works raised important social questions regarding a rather new aspect of Spanish society, which until the 1980s had little immigration. Looking at the characters from four main perspectives—language(s) used on stage, scenic space, dramatic techniques such as lighting or sound, and the positioning of the audience—the analysis concludes that integration of the new immigrants is slow, but dramatists are working to raise awareness of the problems.