National University

Autonomous of
Honduras
Issue:
Theater in Honduras
Graduate:
Edgar Valeriano
Section:
0900
Cluster:
#3
Members:
1) Jade Dalahy Maradiaga Agurre #23 (20211023228)
2) Reina Nohemy Martinez Chandias #11 (20191032187)
3) Grace Maholy Vallecillo Navas # 31 (20221002679)
4) Belquis Milagro Banegas Banegas # 28 (20211030358)
5) Kimberly Jessenia Castellanos Gonzalez #21
(20211021540)
6) Gloria Judith Macias Ramirez #16 (20211020595)
7) Isis Dayana Flores Velasquez #08 (20191000487)
 Index

National University Autonomous of Honduras................................................1

Issue:...........................................................................................................1
Graduate:.....................................................................................................1
Section:........................................................................................................................1
Cluster:........................................................................................................................1
Members:.....................................................................................................................1
Index................................................................................................................................2
Introduction.....................................................................................................................3
Goals...............................................................................................................................4
Theater in Honduras........................................................................................................5
History of theater in Honduras: Origin....................................................................5
History of Theater in Honduras: biblical theater.....................................................5
History of Theater in Honduras: the 50's.................................................................5
History of Theater in Honduras: the 60's and 70's...................................................6
History of Theater in Honduras: the 80's and 90's...................................................6
History of the Manuel Bonilla theater in Honduras.................................................7
The University Theater in Honduras.......................................................................7
Theaters in Honduras......................................................................................................8
“Memories” Theater House.....................................................................................8
Nicolas Avellanada Theater.....................................................................................8
Jose Fransisco Saybe...............................................................................................9
La Fragua Theater..................................................................................................11
Honduran theater group mas acquaintances.................................................................11
mask group.............................................................................................................11
Bamboo Theater Group.........................................................................................12
Forge theater group................................................................................................14
Sampedrano Theater Circle...................................................................................14
Playwrights....................................................................................................................15
Murillo Selva.........................................................................................................15
Career path.............................................................................................................16
Isidro Spain............................................................................................................17
Trajectory...............................................................................................................17
Plays.......................................................................................................................18
Daniel Lainez.........................................................................................................18
Career path.............................................................................................................18
Death......................................................................................................................19
José Trinidad Reyes Sevilla...................................................................................19
Conclusions...................................................................................................................20
Bibliographies...............................................................................................................22
 Introduction

In this report we will present the origins of theater in Honduras, carrying out
certain points. Highlighting biblical theater based on the depths of the
religious roots of Hondurans, we will mention the trajectory that theater has
had in Honduras in the early 1950s. where theater is located as a profession
as well as the years 60, 70, 80 and 90. We will name the most prominent
theaters at the national level as well as the various theater groups. Finally,
we will talk about the professional shift that each of the Honduran
playwrights has had in recent years.
 Goals

o Demonstrate the evolution that theater groups have had.

o Make known the literary events in ancient times in Honduras.

o Identify the different theaters and playwrights that exist in Honduras.

 Theater in Honduras
History of theater in Honduras: Origin
The Honduran theatrical antecedents date back to colonial times, although it
is well known that before the arrival of the Spanish to Central America, the
aborigines had among their customs the performance of rituals, dances and
various performances for which those involved were instructed, such as
theater actors.

The colonizers used the European theatrical heritage to impart their Catholic
dogmas to the Native Americans. That is, they taught a hagiographic theater
to the aborigines. The first properly structured play in Honduras was
performed in the year 1750, in the city of Comayagua, outdoors, in which El
Diablo Cojuelo, by the Spanish playwright, Luis Vélez de Guevara, was
performed.

History of Theater in Honduras: biblical theater

In full understanding of the deep religious roots of Hondurans, the 18th
century theater artist, Father José Trinidad Reyes (who was declared a hero
of Honduras for his fight against poverty, the right to education and the
rights of women, and who founded the National Autonomous University of
Honduras), wrote several pieces called Pastorelas, which would take
advantage of the religious fidelity of the people of Honduras, also laying the
foundations of what theater would be in modern times.

History of Theater in Honduras: the 50's

During this decade, theater was established as a profession in Honduras,
with its main exponents in the capital Tegucigalpa, as well as other
exponents of the acting profession in other Honduran provinces, such as San
Pedro Sula or the Department of Colón. These last two remained as
little-recognized theater communities that were rather overshadowed by
those coming from the capital territory, but whose work was promulgated
thanks to the Teatro La Fragua group, who toured several cities in the
United States, Cuba and Mexico.

History of Theater in Honduras: the 60's and 70's

In the decade corresponding to 1960, Latin America was going through a
turbulent political and social climate. Venezuela and Colombia (You might
be interested in: History of theater in Venezuela) knew the arrival of
democracy, having left behind military dictatorships, Cuba broke economic
and diplomatic relations with the United States due to the arms support they
received from the Soviet Union, when They were carrying out their
revolutionary struggle against Fulgencio Batista.

These conflicts and transitions that Latin America suffered during those
years were reflected in the theater of Honduras in the 70's and, later, during
the 80's, when creative minds arrived in the Central American country
returning from studying dramaturgy in Colombia. as was the case of Rafael
Murillo Selva and Tito Estrada. They, along with other young theater artists,
marked the beginning of a new era in the Honduran stage, which sought its
identification and cultural recognition embodied in performing arts.

History of Theater in Honduras: the 80's and 90's

These were years of profuse artistic exploration in theater. Authors like the
aforementioned Rafael Murillo inject Honduran stage life with a very strong
dose of identification and self-love professed towards the culture of their
country. With works like Louvavagu or the far side, the playwright seeks to
lift the cultural lethargy in which Honduras was immersed in the 1980s.
During this decade this work is presented by
 the entire nation, making Murillo Selva's influence enormous as one of
the precursors of theater in this Central American nation.

In the 90's, national festivals were organized in celebration of

Honduran theater. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is involved in artistic
theater productions in Honduras, and presents the Morazánico Theater
Festival.

History of the Manuel Bonilla theater in Honduras

The Manuel Bonilla Theater is the first national theater in Honduras. Its
construction was the product of the initiative of numerous intellectuals who,
in consensus, made a request to the then president of the country, Manuel
Bonilla, to build a theater in honor of the Spanish writer Manuel de
Cervantes, because the tercentenary of his work was being celebrated. Don
Quijote of La Mancha. In 1905, Bonilla announced a decree to begin
construction of the building.

Completing the theater took 10 years of work, but in 1913, President Bonilla
died suddenly of natural causes, so in 1915, once the theater that he ordered
to be built was finished, it was named after the late president. in honor of his
memory.

The country's first national theater, designed by the French engineer M.

Bourgueois, is located in the city of Tegucigalpa, capital of the nation.

, Maria Dubon, Alejandra Flores, Vera Guillen, Luis Moncada.

The University Theater in Honduras

In Honduras, university theater began on July 2, 1958 with the founding of
the University Theater of the National Autonomous University of
Honduras, originally directed by actor, playwright and director Francisco
Salvador.[1] The University Theater of Honduras would present the
following works: in 1958 it presented "Entremeses" by Miguel de
Cervantes,
 "Jewels of the theater" work composed of extracts from Calderón de la
Barca, William Shakespeare, Albert Camus and Sergio Magaña,
"Young President" by Salvador Novo and "The Boy and the Cat" by
Federico García Lorca; In 1959, "The Respectful Prostitute" by Jean-
Paul Sartre, "The Hands of Euridice" by Pedro Bloch, "A Gentleman of
Industry" by Alonso Brito and "The Simple Things" by Hector Mendoza
were staged; in 1960, "The Street of Green Sex" by Hugo Carrillo and "He
Who Receives the Slaps" by Leonidas Andreiev were presented; Finally, in
1961 "La zapatera prodigiosa" by Federico García Lorca was presented.

Theaters in Honduras
“Memories” Theater House
Tegucigalpa, Honduras (Conexihon).- The project to open a theater in the
La Plazuela neighborhood of the historic center of Tegucigalpa with the
name “Casa de Teatro Memorias” is an effort of the Cultural Association
Memorias directed by Theater Director Tito Ochoa .

Nicolas Avellanada Theater

The first stone for the construction of the theater was laid on January 22,
1896 and it was inaugurated on January 2, 1898, as the provisional Theater

of the Municipality of Comayaguela. The name given to the Theater is due

to the fact that at the time the cultural center belonged to the administration
of the Escuela República de Argentina, a group of teachers from this school
 They traveled to that South American nation and as a sign of gratitude
for the good treatment received, they proposed the name of Nicolás
Avellaneda, former Argentine president, for the theater, a name that it
retains to this day. The theater suffered a long process of deterioration. In
1990, Lic. Sonia Canales de Mendieta, then Minister of Culture and

Tourism, took the

initiative to rebuild it so that it could provide its services to the city of
Comayaguela. This work was inaugurated on January 22, 1992. From that
date on, it provides its services to the public in Comayaguela, as well as
Tegucigalpa.

Jose Fransisco Saybe

The JFS theater is the home of the Sampedrano Theater Circle. During its
forty-nine years of existence (founded in 1969) the CTS has broken all the
theatrical and cultural records of our country, having presented more than
170 works by authors from 12 different countries, with a total of 2,764
presentations, which have attracted – to date – more than 1.5 million
viewers.

The CTS is undoubtedly a source of pride for the city of San Pedro Sula. It
is not Broadway but the CTS plays are performed meeting international
standards.

The Saybe Theater hosts shows and exhibitions of all kinds, such as
presentations of acrobats, conjurers, classical music concerts
 and popular, album launches, cultural conferences, classical and modern
dance presentations, book presentations; as well as exhibitions of painting,
sculpture, bonsai, photography and caricatures. Many of these are
international events.
It has 506 seats, a large stage, a well with the capacity to accommodate an
orchestra of 35 musicians, outstanding acoustics, a multipurpose room with
capacity for 500 people, a meeting room, offices, large dressing rooms, a
workshop for the construction of stages, and 12 warehouses. It is widely
used by different schools and institutions.

La Fragua Theater
Teatro la fragua was founded in the city of Olanchito, Yoro, on July 19,
1979, the day the first play premiered, in a small adobe house converted into
a very simple theater with capacity for about 80 people. Since then he has
had uninterrupted work, contributing to the development of Honduran and
Central American culture.

Honduran theater group mas

acquaintances
mask group

The Antifaz group was founded in 1999 by Geovanny and Claudia

Matute. Since the creation of the group, it has chosen to present
national works such as: “The Walker”, “The Mountain” and “Manos
Above”, recently it has ventured into other branches of art. like
butoh, which is a Japanese dance, they are also in the production of
short and feature films.
Tito Estrada is originally from the city of Danlí, he is a director,
actor, researcher and playwright. He began his artistic life on Radio
América
 In 1962-63, he studied at the Academy of Dramatic Arts of
Honduras and in the Theater Program at New York University.
He is a graduate of the National School of Dramatic Arts of
Colombia, he is currently a member of the executive committee of
the training project for the theater sector in Central America and
affiliated with the Honduran theater community COMHTE. He is
also a professor at the UNAH Art Department.

Bamboo Theater Group

The Bambú Theater Group (GTB) is an independent group, with legal status
No. 629-2005, founded in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in March 1990. They
have brought to the stage works by national, foreign and collective creation
authors and they have been characterized by being a traveling group and
some of their productions are represented with the minimum technical and
space conditions, thus bringing art to different cities, towns and
communities. difficult to access in Honduras, adapting to all types of
conditions and environments. His shows have been performed in the 18
departments of Honduras, in El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica,
Nicaragua, Belize, Panama, Mexico, United States, Colombia, Chile,
Argentina, Ecuador and Spain, having as stages: theaters, plazas
public areas, streets, schools, colleges, universities, etc. managing to insert
themselves into the theatrical and cultural environment of each country
visited.
Forge theater group
The Teatro La Fragua is a theater group from El Progreso, the third city of

Honduras. Its objective is "to forge national identity through the expressions
of the people and awaken popular creativity with the help of theater, to find
solutions to current problems." Jack Warner, a Jesuit priest, has been the
director since its founding in 1979. The company is made up of fourteen
Hondurans who, in addition to acting, handle maintenance and public
relations tasks.

Many dramatic works have been created by La Fragua: explorations into

Central American history and traditions; dramatizations of biblical stories in
the Honduran context; adaptations of classical theater; and theater for
children. The performances are held in squares, churches and schoolyards,
in priority for audiences of the poor and workers, illiterate people who do
not have access to the sources of official culture, and who otherwise would
never have the opportunity to see a play. The guiding principle is the
following: "If the people cannot go to the theater, then the theater must go to
the people."

In addition to putting on plays, La Fragua has developed a training program

in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala and
Belize, and has toured the United States, Mexico, Spain and Colombia.
More than 600 young people have participated in the workshops.

Sampedrano Theater Circle

The Sampedrano Theater Circle (CTS) was born on August 21, 1969. The
28 excited San Pedro founders, many of them descendants of Arab families,
agreed; create the CTS. They loved art and culture and wanted to do quality
theater. Three months later, on November 13, 1969, the CTS surprised the
city with its first work: “Approved in
 chastity". For two consecutive years, Don Chico put quality works on
stage, both in scenery, costumes and production; as histrionically.

In mid-1972, the Sampedrano Cultural Center auditorium was

inaugurated and immediately became the headquarters for 31 consecutive
years, where 120 works were presented, all of them with spectacular
production and ratings. Just in 2003, San Pedro Sula and its beloved and
respectful CTS saw the birth of the monumental José Francisco Saybe
theater. Since that year, the Saybe theater has had uninterrupted annual
activity and increasing popularity.

There are already more than 48 works that have been presented on this
stage; and countless shows, both local and international. It is a reality,
thanks to the San Pedro Sula Cultural Foundation, an institution of
volunteers and theater enthusiasts who seek, every day, to make the arts the
best endorsement of the city. Its promoter, José Francisco Saybe Handal, is
the driving force that makes CTS the most respected artistic industry with
the longest history in Honduras.

Playwrights
Murillo Selva

Rafael Murillo Selva. Honduran playwright, actor and theater director. The
greatest playwright that Honduras has had throughout its history.

He was born on August 19, 1934 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. From a very

young age he dedicated himself to theater. In 1960 he obtained his law
degree from the National University of Santa Fe, Colombia. Between 1967
and 1970 he obtained a Master's degree in Economic History at the
Sorbonne University, Paris. In 1971 he obtained
 a doctorate in Law and Political Science at the National University of
Bogotá, where he was later a professor in the “Cultural Processes” class.
Career path

In 1965 he joined the theater group "La Candelaria". He then earned a

doctorate in Economic History in France. Returning to Honduras, he
founded the "La Merced" Experimental Theater (TEUM) in 1970. He has
been cultural attaché of Honduras to the Colombian government, director of
the Garífuna Identity Rescue Project, sponsored by the Inter American
Foundation, Washington.

Between 1983 and 1986 he was deputy director for Latin America and the
Caribbean in the area of Culture of the United Nations Educational and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

His writings and works have been published in several international

newspapers and magazines such as Le Monde of Paris, Revista Plural of
Mexico, Diario Le Marseille of France, Diario Phoenix of San Francisco,
California, El Matutino of Panama, La Voz del Interior of Córdova,
Argentina, among others. He has also traveled the world giving lectures at
different universities and cultural centers. As a director and playwright he
has been in works such as Bataclan, La Cuerda, Los Patrulleros (based on a
text by Andrés Morris) “Before Breakfast” (by Eugene O'neil).

His masterpiece is “Loubavagu” or “The Other Side of the Bridge”, it has

been on the billboard for 18 years, more than a thousand performances and
has been successfully presented in the most prestigious artistic festivals in
the world, always by his hand. He has done film and television work as an
actor and producer in Colombia and France. Several of his theatrical
productions have been invited to participate in the most important festivals
in America and Europe.

Theater
 or The barefoot Bolívar (1975).
or The earthquake (1976).
o Approaches to the independence process and the thought of José
Cecilio
or del Valle (1978).
or Louvabagu (1980).

Isidro Spain

Isidro García Spain Honduran playwright, actor and theater director.

Recognized in international publications as the Father of Popular Theater in
Honduras. He was born in 1945 in the city of La Ceiba, La Atlántida,
Honduras. Since childhood he began in the school performances of the
national kindergarten in the capital of the Republic of Honduras,
Tegucigalpa. He studied acting at ITUCH in Santiago de Chile, at the
ICTVS Santiago de Chile Academy. He also attended the Acting Workshop
70 and 73. At the INBAL Theater School (National Institute of Fine Arts
and Literature) he graduated as a teacher in Dramatic Art and stage director.
He has received workshops, courses, dance weeklies, acting methods,
journalism, plastic arts, puppets, literature, choreography, etc. Among them,
playwriting with Isadora Aguirre from Chile and Emilio Carballido from
Mexico.

Trajectory

He was thus part of the Children's Theater of Honduras founded in 1958 by

the teacher, pianist, writer, theater director Mercedes Argucia Membreño.
He has been the director of more than three hundred productions, including
large-scale productions such as the Musical Comedy “Clementina Suárez
Vive” of his authorship, the Rock Opera, “Cinderella Had to Die”, by
Carlos Boker, “La Ciudad Alegre y Confiada” ” by Jacinto Benavente, “The
 Tragedy of Morazán” written by Francisco Díaz in 1944. Among the most
successful television and radio programs in Honduras are those he has made
dedicated to children. Favorite for giving talks, conferences, presentations,
theater and drama courses at the national level.
Plays

1. Clementina lives (sf).

2. The 400 years of Tegucigalpa (sf).

3. Grandmother Cardona (sf).

4. The children of corn (sf).

5. Peace.

6. The party (sf).

7. The taking of the national palace (sf).

8. Madhouse (sf).

9. The city of bells (sf).

10. Fertilizing the seed (2000).

11. The flower that flies (2000).

Daniel Lainez

Daniel Láinez (Tegucigalpa, April 10, 1908 - Tegucigalpa, March 4, 1959)

was a Honduran poet, narrator and playwright. He completed primary
studies in Tegucigalpa. From a young age he worked in a typographic
workshop.

Career path

He collaborated in the magazines Tegucigalpa (by Alejandro Castro) and

Surco (by Claudia Barrera), as well as in the main national newspapers.
Multifaceted, Daniel Láinez was one of the representative writers of his
generation. He ventured sporadically into playwriting. He was an
outstanding member of the so-called Generation of '35 (or Generation of the
Dictatorship).

His work is characterized by the use of popular language, especially in his

stories and local prints. In his collection of poems In the heat of the stove he
assimilated, without excesses, the popular-folkloric aspect; and in a comic
toy of traditional style, Timoteo has fun, addressing the problem of
alcoholism in Honduras.

Death

He died on March 4, 1959 in Tegucigalpa (Honduras).

Theater

1946: Timothy has fun.

1956: A man of influence

José Trinidad Reyes Sevilla

He was born on June 11, 1797 in San Miguel de Tegucigalpa. Deacon,

priest and poet, he was a controversial defender of the rights of women and
the poor. Prócer of Honduras, founded the Autonomous University of
Honduras. He is a relevant character in the field of dramaturgy and is
considered the initiator of Honduran poetry. He is also the author of texts
with political content that honor or denote the memory of various figures.
He died on September 20, 1855 in Tegucigalpa.
 Conclusions

o Evaluate each of the works carried out by Honduran authors.

o We were able to demonstrate how important evolution is in theater.

o We managed to understand how valuable authors are in Honduras.

o Finally we conclude that theater is one of the most expressive instruments

for the human formation of a country.
 Bibliographi
es
https://prezi.com/7ekgnteigqhm/el-teatro-en-honduras/

https://www.google.com/search?q=Grupo+teatral+bambu&sxsrf=APq-WBvrlCaJSYyCViFq0-
5wlDN-
otHELw:1646706506813&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj56Yzju7X2AhVuQjABH
bAICG0Q_AUoAXoECAMQAw&biw=1280&bih=577&dpr=1.5#imgrc=LwvWx9gM-AHYwM

http://www.hondurasensusmanos.com/turismo/category/teatros-nacionales/

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teatro_en_Honduras#:~:text=En%20Honduras%20hist%C3%B3ri
camente%20se%20practica,en%20la%20ciudad%20de%20Comayagua .