Monica Leoni

Monica Leoni is an Associate Professor at the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies, University of Waterloo, specializing in Spanish Literature of the Golden Age, Latin American Literature, and Early Modern Hispanic Female Writers. Her research explores intersections between Spanish Golden Age theater and Italian Commedia dell’Arte traditions, focusing on gender dynamics, character archetypes, and narrative subversion.

• Ph.D. University of Toronto (1998)
• M.A. University of Toronto (1993)
• B.A. Honours, University of Toronto (1992)

Her publications analyze themes like the gracioso figure’s role in Spanish drama, the demonization of female characters in Zayas’s works, and the political dimensions of silence in Ana Caro’s plays. Her research bridges literary theory with cultural history, emphasizing interdisciplinary connections.

Leoni has received multiple teaching awards, including the UW Distinguished Teaching Award (2008) and OUSA Teaching Excellence Award (2008). She teaches courses ranging from intermediate Spanish language to specialized studies on Golden Age theater and literary women in Hispanic culture.