John Carter Brown Library in Providence, Rhode Island, formerly a private collection, opened its doors to the public in 1904. It offers the world’s leading collection of materials relating to the history of early North and South America.
Aware of this website’s interest and commitment to the printing of early plays and related materials, JCB’s Head of Cataloging Services, Allison Rich, brought to our attention four broadsides announcing and promoting theatrical performances in Mexico City. These have been digitized and are accessible via JCB’s catalog records. We are grateful for JCB’s permission to reproduce these four images in a slideshow for your immediate reference.
We continue to discover and recognize the significance of ephemeral materials as primary evidence in research. These broadsides attest to the ongoing transatlantic relationship between Spanish theater and the theatrical culture of New Spain throughout the late 18th century. Cataloging by JCB conjectures that these four broadsides were printed between 1778 and the 1790s.
Censorship by the Spanish Crown shaped theatrical life in the viceroyalties, where performances mostly featured plays by Spanish dramatists and adaptations of French and Italian works. In fact, one of the broadsides, with call number bB785 .R288e, specifically mentions that measures were taken to consult the principal theaters of Europe, requesting at any cost all works that appeared daily: “Se ha tomado la providencia de acudir a los principales teatros de Europa, solicitando a cualquier costo todas las que diariamente salgan a luz.”
The four broadsides clearly illustrate European influence, with advertisements mentioning Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s No siempre lo peor es cierto; Lo que ciega una pasión by Ramón de Arellano y Cruz; El casamiento por fuerza, (an adapted translation of Molière’s work); as well as an unnamed play by Carlos Goldoni. The article “Sainetes, tonadillas, follas, volatinerías y otras destrezas en el Real Coliseo” by María José Rodilla provides a broader context for these four carteleras and two that are not part of JCB’s collection but are held by El Centro de Estudios de Historia de México Carso.
References:
Rodilla, María José. “Sainetes, Tonadillas, Follas, Volatinerías y Otras Destrezas en el Real Coliseo.”
Estudios de Teatro Español y Novohispano: Actas del XI Congreso de AITENSO (septiembre 2003, Buenos Aires).
BsAs: Universidad de BsAs, Facultad de Filología y Literaturas Hispánicas, 2005, pp. 529–536.
En atencion â la escasés que se experimenta de obras modernas para el teatro, cuya nueva variedad mantenga al público en la lícita diversion que necesita para el desahogo de las pensiones humanas, se há tomado la providencia de ocurrir â los principales teatros de Europa, solicitando â qualquiera costo todas las que diariamente salgan â luz, John Carter Brown Library, bB785 .R288e,
https://bruknow.library.brown.edu/permalink/01BU_INST/15ov46e/alma991043728323606966.
La compañia de este Real Coliseo servirá al público el domingo, representando la gran comedia: No siempre lo peor es cierto, cuyo primer intermedio ocuparán las músicas con dos piezas cantadas, John Carter Brown Library, bB778 .R288c,
https://bruknow.library.brown.edu/permalink/01BU_INST/15ov46e/alma991043728323806966.
Noticia a el publico. : En debido obsequio á los años de el Excmô. señor virrey, tiene dispuesto este Real Coliséo (como casa destinada por Su Magestad á indiferentes públicas diversiones) executar un pieza teatral miselanea: su argumento: Poder, Desprecio, y amo, qual es la causa mayor, John Carter Brown Library, bB786 .R288e,
https://bruknow.library.brown.edu/permalink/01BU_INST/15ov46e/alma991043728323006966.
Va a parecer a los ojos del público, una pieza dramática, que con preferencia á quantas se han escrito, merece toda la atencion de los Españoles. : El asunto demuestra los hechos que dieron principio á la restauracion de España por el infante don Pelayo. Hechos tan gloriosos, que continuados hasta el total exterminio de la dominacion sarracena, se adquirieron el mas distinguido lugar en la historia, colocaron á los Españoles en el mas alto grado del heroismo, y no les dejaron que envidiar á los mas ilustres, y famosos imperios del mundo, John Carter Brown Library, bB790 .R288v,
https://bruknow.library.brown.edu/permalink/01BU_INST/15ov46e/alma991043728322906966.