Theatre History Overview - Part 47A - Central and South America

Theatre in Central and South America goes back to the roots of early Aztec, Incan, and Mayan civilizations. Each of these civilizations had rituals that included theatrical elements. Many of them were religious rituals.

The Aztecs lived in what is now known as Mexico. They had songs known as cuicatl that were used to celebrate various seasons as well as honoring and celebrating their many gods. Cuicatl could be broken down into three main categories. There were sons of battle dedicated to the gods of war known as Yaocuicatle. There were creation myths that were also adoration of the most powerful gods known as teocuical. There were sochicuatal or flower-songs. These often conveyed multiple meanings and were considered to be metaphorical and poetic.

The Incan empire was located in what is now known as Peru. Festivals were celebrated at least once a month. These honored their gods, were to protect health, and were also to prevent disasters and guarantee good harvests. The largest festival, Inti Raymi, was extremely elaborate using many theatrical elements. There were trance-like dancing, chantoing, marching musicians, and oral story tellers. Story telling was extremely important because the Incans did not have a written language.

The Mayanas lived in what is now known as Guatemala. They had dances that told stories of the origin of the world, political conflicts, ancestors, and animals. There was even a dance called Tocontin to honor the nobles. There was a Mayan ritual dance known as Dance of Conquest that told the story of the Spanish invastion. The Mayans would wear sequined costumes and would use masks that had been painted on pine wood.

Western European drama began in the 17th century. Religious dramas appeared with the arrival of the conquistadors. Because they saw the appreciation of theatrical performance of the indigenous people, they used theatre to tell the story of Christianity.

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