Theatre History Overview - Part 22 - Mexican Theatre

The history of Mexican theatre dates back to the Aztecs. Theatrical performances were usually part of religious celebrations. They included myths and legends about the Aztec gods. There were hymns to these gods that the choirs in the plays would sing. While the theatrical dramas were religious performances, they would also have every day elements to which observers could relate. There are some historians that believe pre-Hispanic Mexiacan theatre was the first to be entiredly written in prose.

After the 15th century, the Aztecs were introduced to Western theatre after the Spanish invasion. Even though the Spanish invasion introduced Western theatre, many elements from the Nuhuatlan culture survived. However, the plays were still mainly religious dramas.

1539 saw the first recorded non-religious drama. It was called "The Conquest of Rhodes." It was written to celebrate and era of peace between Charles V of Spain and Francis I of France. In 1574, "Spiritual Wedding of the Shepherd Peter and the Mexican Church" was produced. It was significant because it is the first recorded Spanish work written for Mexico by an American-born author. The the second half of the 16th century, short comedic plays that took place both before and after more serious plays became popular. There were different types of these plays. Some of the names for them were entremeses, coloquios, and sainetes.

In the 1800s, theatre in Mexico decreased due to war. However, it still existed and took on a more nationalistic conscience. In the early 20th century, plays started to be written in the Mexican-Spanish tongue rather than in the pure Spanish language of Spain. In the 1950s, realism was introduced to Mexican theatre and in the 1960s, playwrights became daring with their works. The thriving theatre in Mexico today encompasses many different types of theatre including theatre in the Aztac and Mayan languages.

(This still counts as my May 17, 2018 blog post as work kept me from writing this earlier.)

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