Constantino University Theatre and Cultural Politics in Contemporary Mexican Society

8/13/2019 Constantino University Theatre and Cultural Politics in Contemporary Mexican Society

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University Theatre and Cultural Politics in Contemporary Mexican Society

Author(s): Roselyn CostantinoSource: Hispania, Vol. 78, No. 1 (Mar., 1995), pp. 205-214Published by: American Association of Teachers of Spanish and PortugueseStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/345247.

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THEHISPANICAND LUSO-BRAZILIANORLDPreparedbyT EdwardHarvey

University Theatre and Cultural Politics inContemporary Mexican SocietyRoselynCostantinoPennsylvania tateUniversity-Altoona

Abstract:Historically,heatre nd pectaclenLatinAmerica aveplayed nactive ole n theconstructionofnation-statesndnationaldentities-andnthe resistanceoconsequent egemonicomination.ecentmovesowardemocracynMexico,hallenginghemonopolyfthestate-partyystem, oincidewithacallforthe democratizationf Mexicanulture nd oranarticulationf the cultural iversityhatcharacter-izesthat ociety.Aspolitical,conomic,nd ocial rises mpactulturalroduction, exico'sNational u-tonomous niversityasdevised seriesofprojectso revivetsstrongheatreraditionnd o offermoredemocraticccess o resourcesor heatrectivity.rojectsavebeen aunchedostimulatereativexperi-mentation,et questionsriseasto whetherhis newheatre ndanewgenerationftheatre ractitionersarechallengingnd ubvertingegemoniculturalndpoliticaliscourses rwhetherheyaresimplyein-forcinghem.KeyWords: 0thcentury,Mexicaniterature, exicanheatre,ulturaltudies

HacerteatroenMhxico scomo anzaruntrasatldntico.OscarVega(PI)1I. Theatre as Political Act. Politicsas Theatre.

The historicalnatureof the relationshipbetweenspectacleandpolitics swell docu-mented.In Theatre fCrisis,DianaTaylorpointsout that the role of theatrein LatinAmerica extends beyond symbolic repre-sentation on the proscenium;since pre-Columbian ivilizations, heatre and spec-tacle haveplayedan active-albeit contra-dictory-part in the politicaland spiritualprocesses of self-affirmationndself-iden-tity,and inthe empowerment fthose con-testingthatdomination Taylor21-23).The 1994Mexicanpresidentialelectioncampaignsprovidedanabundanceofspec-tacle asMexicobegantheprocessofopen-ingupapoliticalystemmonopolized ythePartidoRevolucionarionstitucional PRI)for oversixty-fiveyears.For the firsttime,nine oppositional andidateswereguaran-teed and took advantageof access to themassmedia,especially elevision.This ap-pearance n.the politicalstage of opposi-tionalvoices positively mpacted he Mexi-

can citizenry, which responded with in-creased nvolvementn the1994campaigns,in the votingprocess, and in subsequent,post-electoral ivicresistance.This apparentmovetowarddemocracycoincideswitha call forthe democratiza-tion of Mexicanculture; hatis, to recog-nizethepluri-culturalatureofMexicoandtoprovide pacesandresources orthecon-servation ndstimulation favarietyofcul-turalmanifestations f a societycharacter-izedbythecoexistenceofanumberofcom-munitiesand symbolicsystems (Canclini32).According oRafaelTovary deTeresa,presidentof the ConsejoNacionalpara aCultura lasArtes,thegovernment's oalshavebeen and shouldcontinue o be:Hacer una politicaculturalrealmentenacionalqueformepartedelbienestar ocial; ograrunaaut6nticadescentralizaci6n elosbienesy serviciosculturales;ampliar a asignaci6nde recursospara a culturayaplicarlosde la maneramas democraitica osible.(Qtd. n de ItaD16)

The success,oreventhehonesty,ofthisculturalprojects challenged ntheworkofsuchcriticsasWilliamRowe,RogerBartra,

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206 HISPANIA 78 MARCH 1995andN6storCanclini. nMexico,the neolib-eraleconomicpolicyofPresidentSalinasdeGortari (1988-1994), while launchingMexico ntowhathe labelsthe firstworldand into the globalmarket,has producedincreasing evels of povertyand alienation(Becerril), esulting nsocialruptures uchas theJanuary1,1994, ndigenousuprisinginChiapasandsporadic esistance notherstatessuch as Guerreroand Oaxaca.As with other LatinAmerican ountries,such political,economic,and socialcrisesand ransformationsmpact ultural roduc-tion (UslarPietri).InMexico,throughthe1980sand nto he 1990s, heatreproductionand attendancehave been negatively af-fectedby a varietyoffactors:economic re-cession andthe concomitant ack of infra-structure to sustain continuityin artisticproduction;he impactof the influx of for-eign, specificallyU.S.,cultural roductsandconsumerism;hestagnation ftheatrepro-ductiondueto rigidhierarchalnstitutionsand adherenceto traditional director-cen-tered theatre;the pervasivenessof massmedia and other forms of entertainment;and directandindirectcensorshipviagov-ernmentmonopolies on mass media andcontrolofgrantsforscholarsandartists.2Inresponse,therecent administrationfthe NationalAutonomous University ofMexico (UNAM)CenterforTheatreandDancehas launcheda series of innovativeprojects, hegoalsofwhich nclude hepro-duction and diffusionof censorship-free,qualityart by a wide varietyof artists inmyriadstyles. The question arises as towhetherthese effortsto revivethe histori-callystrongtheatre raditionnMexicoareoffering more democratic access to re-sources for creativeactivity,andif the re-sultingproductionsreflecta plurivisi6n,a pluralityof perceptionsand representa-tions of Mexican reality. Of interest here isthe dynamicrelationshipbetween Mexicansociety in transition and this recent univer-sity theatre, and the extent to which theUNAM's projects revitalize theatre produc-tion in Mexico in the current climate of cul-tural politics.

II.The University and NationalCultureWithin the history of modern LatinAmerican heatre,university heatrehas along traditionof creativityandexperimen-tation.Althoughcase histories vary,thistheatre responds critically to repressivegovernments'hegemonic discourses,andtoimported ndcolonizingWesternculturalmodels;it is always n search of spaces inwhich to forge artistic dentities based onever-changing onceptsof nationalreality.Examples of such resistant activityin-cludeuniversityheatre nChilewhere,dueto lack of support or theatrefromthe gov-ernment or commercial nterests,in 1941,the NationalUniversityoundedExpermen-tal University heatre. hisprojectauncheda movementwhichdefined,developed,andtransformedChileantheatre into one ofLatinAmerica'srichest sources of theatrearts.InBolivia, incethe 1950s, heUniver-sities of SanAndr6s'and Sucre's theatreworkshops, symposia, and schools havesoughtto produceheterogeneousnationaltheatre that more accuratelyreflects theethnic andclass diversityof thatcomplexsociety-this in the face of governmentalcensorshipand violent ntervention. nthe1960s Columbianuniversity theatre, insearch of continuity n theatreproductionviaformal, tructuralnd hematichomoge-neity,founded heatre estivalswhichgaveformto new Columbiannational heatre(Perales143-46).Thistraditionindsitszenith n Mexicanuniversity theatre spaces, which, since1937,haveprovideda privilegedvenue forexperimentation ndconsolidationof newscenographicforms, and a forumfor thenation'smost divisivesocial issues. Mexi-can university heatreis not school he-atre, but professional,semi-professional,

and student theatre supported by the Uni-versity. The UNAM serves as a venue fornational theatre, with a strong tradition ofcreative excellence due in part to the au-tonomous nature of the University whichshields it from government censorship.Some of Mexico's most outstandingliterary



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THEHISPANIC AND LUSO-BRAZILIANWORLD 207and artisticfigures-Octavio Paz, CarlosFuentes, Elena Garro, Maria LuisaMendoza-participated ncreating heatrethatreflects nationaland internationalra-ditions, heatre hatresponds oandprecipi-tateschange n the socio-historicalontext.WithinMexico, the UNAM's culturalproject,underwhich theuniversity heatreprogramwas developedandis supported,coincided with the revolutionary piritofthe earlypartofthis centuryand served asa model for experimentation nd creativeexcellence.Asearlyas 1929,MexicopassedtheLeyOrgdnicawithhephilosophical ndintellectual upportof suchfiguresasJustoSierraandJoseVasconcelos.This act ncor-porated nto the University he impulseofthe 1910 Revolutionn an effortto protecteducation ndculture rom deological om-promise.This imperativeestablished as aprimaryunctionof the UNAM elextendercon la mayor amplitud posible losbeneficiosdela cultura -a dictum hates-tablishedone of the mostambitious ulturalprojects n all of LatinAmerica.As the au-thors of a chronicle of the UNAM'sactivi-ties pointout:Muypronto,al nacerdelsiglo,laculturamexicana-hoydiversay fortisima-encontr6en la Universidadel conducto6ptimoparasu multiplicaci6n el terre-no propiciopara u creaci6ny recreaci6nncesantes.Los movimientosartisticos, as vanguardias ultura-les,laspolemicasntelectuales,osexperimentalismosest6ticosqueaveces se revelarianambi6n omo for-masnuevas delcomportamiento laconvivencia o-ciales encontrarony encuentranen la universidadapoyoe impulso.(Crdnica 3)

This imperative ecognizesthe dynamicrelationshipbetween the culturalartefactand the context in which it is generated,betweenthe dailyhabitsandformsof apar-ticularpeople andtheir art. The UNAM'sCoordinacidn de Difusidn Culturalchronicles such avant-garderoupsof art-ists as the Ateneistas del Ateneo de laJuventud,the Contenmpordneos,oesia en vozalta, and the culturaljournalsRevistasde laUniversidad,Los Universitarios,and Puntode partida. These are offered as them~rimosexponentes of the rich legacy ofinternationally recognized avant-garde ar-

tisticactivity.Today, the UNAM'spromotionof lasmUiltiplesmanifestaciones de la culturaurbana Crdnica15) is impressive.Theuniversity, Mexico's MaiximaCasa deEstudio, produces annually more thantwenty housand ctivities: 50conferences,1,200courses,150 artexhibits,400guidedtours,650concerts,4,500cinematographicprojections,1,700 heatreshows,300radioand 50 televisionshows.Withover500,000students at the main campus in MexicoCity, t supportsandexchangeswithsome50institutions oth nand outside he coun-try and reaches some 20,000 students atextension sites (Crdnica 5-16).Mexico's National AutonomousUniversity's edication o thegenerationofculturalactivityandcreativeexcellencere-sultedin aninfrastructurehatpermits ev-els of experimentationrom whichnation-allyandinternationallyecognized heatrehasemerged,especiallyduring he decadesof 1950sthroughthe 1970s. At the sametime, however, this institutionalizationsblamed for a culturalpoliticsthat,accord-ingto some,stagnates heatreactivityand,in the opinion of others, centralizes re-sourcesresulting nthe marginalizationfmanysectors of the artisticcommunity.III.Recent University Theatre inMexico

Recent efforts of the UNAM's Coordi-nacidndeDiusidn Cultural,pecificallytsCentrode Teatro Danza,reflecta contin-uedoptimism nthe socialbenefitsof suchcreativity. heeffortsareguidedbyspecificgoals andclaim a numberof successes af-terlittle morethanoneyearofproduction.Under the direction of AlejandroAura,the Centrode Teatro Danzabeganto de-velop programsallocatingthe budgetedfundsto supporta widervarietyandnum-ber of artists andprojects. InJanuary,1993,the Centro came under the direction ofIgnacio Solares, award-winningplaywright,novelist, and recent winner of the presti-gious nationalawardforcultural ournalism.Solares, with a new administrative staffand



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208 HISPANIA 78 MARCH 1995advisory board, launched a series ofprojectsdesignedto reafirmaros perfilesdel teatro universitario.Esto por muchascircunstancias se perdi6 o se diluy6.Queremosvolver a encontrar,enamorar,cautivar un pfiblico, a traves de laspropuestasdel teatro universitarioque esteatro de bisqueda (CrestaniPI).The advisoryboard s animportant ddi-tion to the Center's nfrastructurend,ac-cordingto the directors,reflects the phi-losophyof pluralitynddemocracy fthisnew administration.he councilreviewsallproposals, electsthose to be funded,allotsthe amountof financialupport, nddecidesthe theatreforum nwhich the projectwillbeproduced.Thisprocessis inresponsetopastcriticismofpreferentialreatmentandnepotism hat leftmanymarginalizedromthesystem.Thus,to democratize hewayin which monies are allotted andprojectsarefunded(and n which theatrepractitio-ners arepermitted o practice heirart),acouncil of five members, all recognizedwithin he artisticworld, udgesthe meritof each proposal.This year's council in-cludes IgnacioSolares (presidingofficer),JoseRam6nEnriquez playwright,ovelist,poet, director, actor, and director of theNational Center for Theatre ResearchRodolfoUsigli),VictorRasc6nBanda(play-wright), Jos6 Santiago (scenographer),GloriaConcredas (choreographer), andHugoHiriartplaywright,ovelist,director,andartistic oordinatorfTeatroArteantaCatarina).BetweenJanuary ndJuly,1994,over 200 projects were submitted to thecouncil,a signof the enthusiasticparticipa-tiongeneratedby the UNAM'sproject.There is a notableabsenceof theatredi-rectors on the board (the members aremostlyplaywrights).During henumerouspersonal interviews conducted for thisstudy, many older and younger theatrepractitioners commented on the effects onMexican theatre of the strong personalitiesof directors during the last decades. Theseeffects have included the stagnation of cre-ativity, especially as concerns the youngergeneration. Without denying the impor-tance of these directors, this administration

seeks, throughseveralprojects, o encour-age a moreintegralparticipationftheatrepractitionersnall those activities elated oproduction.The specific projects vary indesign, but allhave as a primarygoal thesupportof newapproacheso the creation,production,andpromotionof this artisticactivity.Continuitynthe use of theUniversity'stheatre orums s aprimary oncern.Thus,a series of cycles wasorganized,nwhichproductionswould be continuously pro-grammed.The firstcycle, Ciclodegrandesdirectores,elebratesthe most recognizeddirectors of Mexican university theatresince 1937,those who establishedthe uni-versitytraditionwhich is seen as the foun-dation of modern Mexican theatre. JoseRam6nEnriquez xplains:Viendo como el mundo de teatroen Mexico es unmundomuy fragmentado,muy peleadoentresi, pe-quefiopueblodonde as historiasson antiguasy mo-dernas,Solaresquisoaprovechar el hecho deque61personalmenteprovienede la dramaturgiamaisquede lapuestaen escena,pues podiaconvocar inplei-tos. Creoquees el primerdramaturgo uehaocupa-do el puesto.Anteshansido directores.Se le ocurri6el ciclo de los grandesdirectores.Vamosa llamaraaqu6llosquehicieronel teatrouniversitario n distin-tas 6pocasparael TeatroJuanRuizde Alarc6n. PI)

Inthiscycle,assignedto the mostpresti-gious of forums, TeatroJuan Ruiz deAlarcdn in the Cultural Center of theUNAM,appearsuch names and plays asIgnacioRetes(Lachunga),he oldest ivingdirector since the founding of TeatroUniversitario;Luisde Tavira(Jubileo)heyoungest;HectorAzar, (Inmaculada);uanJose Gurrola(El kacedorde teatro);JoseLuisIbanez Lavidaessueffo);uan binez3;Hector Mendoza;and LudwigMargules(Luzde luna. Tiempodefesta). Estos,explains Enriquez, representan losm~ximosexponentesde este teatrodesdePoesia en vozalta de 1937, 25 afios de gen-tes sobresalientes (PI).Solares, directorofTeatro y Danza, suggests that by attendingthis cycle in the Juan RuizTheater, the au-dience is guaranteedtheatre of quality.One might question, as many inter-viewees did, the very concept of quality



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THEHISPANIC AND LUSO-BRAZILIANWORLD 209theatre,a conceptperceivedas a perpetua-tion of the statusquo.Whereasthis cyclereflects for some the reaffirmation f thefoundations f the tradition f excellenceinMexicantheatre(EnriquezPI), forothersitrepresentsanotherattemptoimposethevisions of the art formandperceptionsofMexicanrealityof a cultural lite.The second cycle, Teatronacional,cel-ebrates Mexicannationaltheatre and au-thors, or Mexicantranslationsof interna-tionalclassics. The works arepresented nanotherof the Center'sforumslocatedinthe CentroCulturalof the UNAM,TeatroSorfJuana ndsde la Crz--recognized asan idealspacebecause of the intimacywiththe audiencethat it affords.In this forumhaveappeared r arescheduledsuchfamil-iar names as JuanTovar (El contrafaso),Luisa Josefina Hernandez (Las bodas);Hugo Argtielles (El cerco de la cabradorada);SabinaBerman;IgnacioSolares(Infidencias);and Vicente Lefiero. Rela-tivelyunfamiliarameshavealsoappeared,indicating he successfulefforts o supportawidervarietyofaestheticprojectsand art-ists, manyof them formingpartof a newgeneration.These includeGabrielaYnclkin,Leonora zcdrate, stelaLefiero Habitacidnenblanco)LuisMarioMoncada(Exhivisidn),andLuisEduardoReyes(Lamiltraumas).Whathas beenimportantortheadvisoryboard s that this forumnotdictateapriorian aestheticdirection ornational heatre,but that rom hevarietyofstyles,anationaltheatrebegin to emerge.The diversityofaestheticprojectsandthematicconcerns,especially in those worksby the youngergeneration,makesevident o the spectatorthat national heatredoes not indicateacoherent,homogenousproject,andpointsto the initialsuccess of this secondcycle.The third cycle is TeatroArte SantaCatarina,a projectdesigned to stimulateavant-gardeheatreandexperimentationygivingspaceandsupport o manynewandup-and-comingrtists,andbyreformulatingthe infrastructureof theatre production.Enriquezexplains:Loquenecesitamosen este paisson espaciosdistin-

tos, pluralesde expresi6n.Yocreoque independien-tementede lagrancalidadquedurantemuchotiem-po ha tenidoel teatrouniversitario, por el exito eimportancia e ciertasgrandesfigurasde teatro,hasido muydificilporel peso de estas grandesfigurasquesurjannuevascosas.Yocreoqueel equilibriodeun teatronacional s quedejede ser nacional,que seabraa todas las posibles corrientes, que no formeparte de una sola escuela, al mismotiempo que sefortalezcan las mAs menosprobadas. ...]Y en estesentidosirveeltercerciclo,SantaCatarina.Hay deasmuyinteresantes, odaviano suficientemente uaja-das, hay j6venes autoresy directoresque quierenprobarse, que necesitan probarseen el escenario,entoncesla idea de HugoHiriartpermiteesto. Mu-chas de estas 200propuestas erminanalli,al gustode sus autores.Conminimode presupuestos,o quenecesitanes el espacio,quese expresen,quese prue-ben;paradarel paso,hay quesubiralescenario.(PI)

Beyond hesethreecycles,theDirecci6nde Teatroy Danzaalsosponsors heAnnualUniversityTheater Festivalin which thestudents of the colleges throughouttheUNAMsystemin the urbanareaofMexicoCitycompetein seven different orums ora twoweek period.Fromsome 60groups,three works are selected for awardsandincorporated into the Santa CatarinaProject.Thisis notprofessional utstudenttheater.Besides theseprojects,hereis the-ater in alternative paces, such as in theopen-airforumin the Historic Center ofMexicoCity,LacdrceldeLaPerpetua, ncethe site of the Mexican Inquisitionand aspace that drawsa distinctaudiencefromCentroCultural,duemainly o its locationandaccessibilityo thoseliving nthedown-town area.The audience is visibly morepopular. The UNAM also coordinatesRadio UNAA,which producesradiothe-ater,such as the dramatization,n 1993,ofCarmenBoullosa'spiratenovelsSonvacas,somospuercosandEl mdico delospiratas.IV.Teatro Arte Santa Catarina

It is in TeatroArteSanta Catarina hatsome ofthemostinnovative nd nterestingprojectshave surfaced,manyin direct re-sponse to the aforementioned crises inMexican heatre.Earlyn 1993,dramatist, ovelist,andes-sayist Hugo Hiriartproposeda project n-



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210 HISPANIA 78 MARCH1995tended to permitmoreartists o createthe-atre. Named the director of TeatroArteSanta Catarina,he designedthe followingprogram: series of cycles ortheproduc-tion of ten playsmeeting specificcriteria,each duringa periodof one month.Withinthecycleaplaywouldhave fourorfiveper-formances-the samenightofthe week foramonth-featuringtwoplayspernight.Forinstance, every Mondaynight in July, denudos by Victor Weinstock and Loselementos eamor,a collagebyvariousau-thors,were performed: irst show at 8:30,the second at 9:45.A time limit of 1 1/4hoursis placedon the pieces, andsceneryhas to be easilymovable,since five daysaweek, two playsper night are performed.Anotherelementintroducedby Hiriarts alimitof four to six weeks of rehearsal ime(timethatthe group actuallyhas access tothe SantaCatarina pace). Budget allow-ancesaremodest:$1000.00pergroupplus80%f thebox office-this amount,dividedamong all group members, for approxi-matelyfiveweeks of every-day ehearsals,and one month of production.The ideabehindthe inclusionof the boxoffice intake is to personally involve thegroupswithpublicity-a motivating actorto promotethemselves and theatre.Thisarrangement lsoeliminatesamodeofpro-ductionnotonlyparalyzingo the artform,but demoralizing and marginalizing tomanygroups:accordingovariouspractitio-ners, the normalapproachs to gatherthegroup, rehearse from six months to twoyears,go doorto doorlookingfora spon-sor, oftento find none.Thus, all investedtimeandmoneyare ost.Commercialnter-est in theatre in Mexico has waveredgreatly-partly becauseofthesize ofmanyproductions(spectacularBroadway-style,commercial heatre) andthe loss of audi-ences to otherformsof entertainmentiketelevision and the video industry. (InMexico City,a successful chain of videostoresnowoffershome delivery.)Inordertorecover nvested imeandmoney,a showneedsbetween50to 100representations-difficultandrisky,withfewrecentproduc-tionscapableofsustaining uchinterest.As

a result,manyworthwhileproductionsareneverseen.The artisticdraincausedbythemovementofmany heatreactorsandprac-titioners to T.V. and movies is also attrib-uted to this economic andculturalreality.Thus,byreducingeconomicrisk,creatingmotivatingactors,andchangingmodes ofproduction, rojectSantaCatarinadirectlyaddressesmanyof the factorsconsideredtobe the cause ofstagnationn theatrepro-duction,quality,and creativity.The earlyresults areinterestingandpromising.Sev-eral productions,aftera periodof experi-mentationand re-working n this project,movedon to otheruniversity,alternative,andcommercial orums:denudosbyVictorWeinstock; Trabajo sucio by LeonorAzcairate, a mil traumasby Luis EduardoReyes(allpartof the new eneration), ndDescr:icidndeunanimaldormido yHugoHiriart, mongothers.One mportantormulating oalbearsdi-rectlyonthe modesofproduction, lthoughit dealswith aestheticissues. OscarVega,assistant director of Santa Catarina,ex-plains he efforts o rethink he representa-tionof adramaticextnot asafinishedprod-uct,butratheras a processthroughwhichworksdevelopandemerge:Queremosomperl mitodelaobra erminadauesurgemuchasecesdetenerquehacer naobra arauna emporadae 50funciones. ncambio,esteex-perimento]ospermiteensarn eltrabajoomounproceso.EstamosratandoerescatarnMexicoascaracteristicasuesonpropiamentee teatro;decrear na ensiblidadelpdiblico:arelaci6nspecialentre aobra el puiblico;acelebraci6neun actoefimero. s distinto cualquiertromedio.PI)The ideais notto recaptureaudiences osttoT.V.,cinema,Nintendo,orMTVbycom-petingwith these forms of entertainmentandcommunication, utrather o educatethe audience to the differences betweenthem,underscoringhosecharacteristicsftheatrethatmakeit an unique,enlighten-ing, and entertaining experience.By creating a forum where real experi-mentationcan take place, Hiriart,Vega, andmany writers, directors, scenographers,actors, technicians, and critics are con-vinced that the wealth of creative energies



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THE HISPANIC AND LUSO-BRAZILIANWORLD 211

previouslyshut out of theatreproductioncan be tappedinto, given a space. Thus,Santa Catarina introduced specificchanges designed o endthereignof direc-tor theatre in Mexico, in which certainfigurasconsagradas have, accordingtomany,imposed a style of production hatnotonlydemeaned he authorsandactors,but led to a theatreof images n whichtheshock valueof exorbitant et designsover-shadowsthe textanddiminishesaudienceparticipation.This criticismhas been lev-eled againstsome recent De Tavira,Azar,and Mendozaproductions.Withoutunder-estimating heimportance ndcentrality fthese figures in Mexican theatrehistory,thereis a call to end what s criticizedas anego driven,authoritarianpproach o dra-matic creation.The proposed change rec-ognizes and values the creative nputof allpractitioners esponsible or the finalprod-uct.InMexico,the landofliterary mafiasand the cult of SacredCows hroughoutits socioculturaland politicalinstitutions(borrowing rom CarlosMonsiviis), thisapproach-different from collective the-atre-is welcomed.Theintellectual ndcre-ative exchange has resulted in a greaternumberof practitionerscollaboratingindifferent apacities neach other'sprojects,andin the enthusiasm o continueproduc-ing, though economicrecompenseis stillless thanideal.V. In Search Of an Audience

Severalotherprogramsof the Direcci6nde Teatroy Danza de la Coordinaci6ndeDifusi6nCulturalde la UNAMattempt oreach a wider audience. TheJornadasdeTeatro roject, o-producedwiththeMuseoNacionaldeHistoria, tilizes heatersoftheChapultapecarkCastle,apopular ommu-nity site frequentedby a wide variety ofMexicans, especially on the weekends.With five works programmed duringweek-end afternoons,Jornadas de Teatro,part ofaprojectcalled Teatroextramuros,unctionsto sacar aquellos productos de calidad yhacerlos llegar a espacios y a un piiblicodiferente del que habitualmente asiste a la

UNAM Escarcega n Salinas); darlesalpiblico, en areas de esparicimiento, unmejory maisaltopanoramade alternativasculturales De Lara,qtd.in Salinas).Similarly,n the theaters of the CulturalCenter of the UNAM, plays are pro-grammedon Saturdayand Sundayafter-noons, in order to offer to the manyMexi-canswho use the campus or weekendrec-reation the possibility of seeing theatre.Beginningas a forum orchildren'sheatre,this space featured such productionsasSabor de enganoby Mexican playwrightVictorHugoRasc6nBanda,with averyfa-vorable response from the spectatorswhose numbersare oftengreaterthanfornighttimeperformances Enriquez I).Thepositiveresultsdemonstratehat raditionalschedules of shows (oftenat8:00-8:30p.m.during heweek) need to be examinedandadjusted o the realityof Mexicanurban iv-ing.These efforts to reach a broader audi-ence, based on a commitment o the socialas well as culturalvalueof theatre,areanimportant step toward the decentraliza-tion of cultural resources (EnriquezPI;CrestaniPI).They are not withoutcritics,however,who,referring othe allotmentoffunds and theatre spaces for the variousprojects,claim hem to beasuperficial es-ture within he sameold culturalpolitics(L6pez).The questionoffinancial upportprovedto beverysensitive(severaladministratorsrefusedto talkabout it withme). Initially,therewascriticismof the amountsallottedthe cycle GrandesDirectoresrelative tothose of TeatroSanta Catarina.Someart-ists, insultedby the originalproposals,re-fused to participate, feeling once againmarginalized. onetheless,many heatrepractitionershave takenadvantageof theopportunityhe projectoffers.VI. Theatre and Cultural Politics

ArifDirlik posits that culture is not onlya way of seeing the world, but also away ofmaking and changing it 26). Concomitantto the ambitiousness of the above projects



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212 HISPANIA 78 MARCH 1995is the analysisof the role and ideologicalbasis of this University heatre,set withinthe context of a nationmakingdefinitivemoves toward fundamentalchange. Thistask s necessary obegintounderstand herelationship mongcontemporaryMexicansociety, its culturalproduction,and thecomplexnetworkof relationsofpower hatcharacterize ulturalpolitics.Culture s in-separable rom relationsof power,and is aspace or series of spaces where popularsubjects,as distinctfrom members of rul-ing groups,are formed(Rowe9), with ex-isting popular cultures having aninterpenetrativeelationshipwithmass cul-ture.4Recent studies find problematic,amongotherthings,thepretentiousnessofdiscourses hat mposeurban ulturalmod-els to define a nation or a people.This isespecially so in Mexico, one of LatinAmerica'smostdiversegroupings.Asearlyas 1901 Mexican Ezequiel ChAvezsug-gested that suchprogramsassumedMexi-cans had been groundby the mortar ofcenturiesso as to forma single bodywithcertainhomogeneity inRowe10).Such models may at best be utopianprojectsof unification hat do not affect nthe samemanner,as one mustimagine,allcitizens iving heconsequentexperienceofhomogenization. he term utopian, e-noting the ideal, although imaginary,eludes the consequences in real terms ofthisproject:heperpetrationf violence hatbrought about the extinction of many ofMexico's indigenous languages, and thecontinuedpersecutionandmarginalizationof entiresegments of society:women,ho-mosexuals, ruralpopulations, ndigenouspeoples,etc.5A pertinent question is, therefore,whetherUniversity-supportedreativeac-tivity s alegitimateormofresistance othecultural litewhen,infact, althoughsome-whatremoved rom hecenterofpower, heUniversitystands in opposition,and hasdone so historically, o a larger,disenfran-chised segmentof the population.The cul-turalproductionof this populationhas tra-ditionallybeen viewed as static and folk-loric, and disregarded romthe opticof a

Westernculturalmodel.Theseconsiderationsrame he researchandanalysisof recenteffortsof the UNAMto create an infrastructureor the fundingandproduction ftheatre nresponse o theeconomic, political,and culturalcrises ofthatcountry,and ts efforts nthesearch ora pluralityof artists and aesthetic styles.Onemayargue,as RoweandSchellingdo,thatpluralitys not a value-free onceptandhistoricallybelongsto the liberal heorywhich allowsthat soci-etyconsists in aplurality finterests,butgivesto thestate the role of mediating them [... and] what stateshaveactuallydone is to seek to homogenizeculturein order to consolidate he powerof ruling groups.(10)Mexico's cultural andscapehas changedand,as RenatoRosaldo uggests, the deaof an authenticcultureas an internally o-hesive and autonomous paceis untenableexcept, perhaps,as a usefulfiction or a re-vealingdistortion 217).

The questionarises how the politicsofthe culturalelite playa role in the not-so-obviouscensorshipresultingfrom the im-positionof forms whose referencepointisWestern culture. In other words, whichmarginal roupsare able to articulateheiralternativeperspectives in these spaces,giventhat,amongotherconsiderations,hepublic universities-although free toMexicancitizens-are accessibleto a rela-tively small percentage of the Mexicanpopulation, ndmostly n urbanareas? t isnot at all clearwhetheralternative ulturalspace andproductionpromotingsociocul-turalandpoliticalcriticism,as theirpropo-nentssuggest, actually ranslatento trans-formational ction.Becauseof, orperhaps n spiteof, suchprogramsoftheUniversity nd otherMexi-can culturalnstitutions, isiblealterationshaveoccurred nthepanorama fMexicantheatre. The most salient are the diversityin themes and styles, and the number ofunfamiliarnames. The explorationon stageof sexuality and erotic desire, (both maleand female, and hetero- and homo-sexual),and of new forms of intimate relationshipsin differentand same-sex couples is an overt



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THEHISPANIC ND LUSO-BRAZILIANORLD213challenge to religious and social norms.Therepresentationfviolence(kidnapping,torture,rape,policebrutality, tc.), andex-plicitcriticismof therulingparty(PRI)andits leadersreflect hecontemporarylimateof the country.Many young practitionersattempt o breakwith the tragicandblackhumor onesand he realism hatcharacter-ized the Mexicanstage for over 40 years,since thedramaturgyf RodolfoUsigli.Alsoobvious s the globalinvolvement f artistsinallprocessesof theatreproduction.Criticand playwrightJaime ChabaudMagnuscomments that with a redefinitionof therole of the playwright n the maquinariacomplejadel artedramitico, we findel dramaturgo,ntes circunscrito sus cajonesy es-critorio,en la actualidad o s61lo articipadesde susletras en stanby[sic] en el hecho teatral.El drama-turgo participa ahora de otros lenguajes de lateatralidad n su quehacercotidiano,conjugando lpapelde contadorde historiascon el director,actor,escen6grafo,productor, romotor.D13)

This multidimensionalole,according oChambaudand manypractitioners nter-viewed for this study, breaks with elpleito-que no polkmica-directorversusautor, que sign6 absurdamente lasrelacionesde la dramaturgiamexicanaporunparde d6cadas Chambaud). his newgeneration, trainedby the masters, n-cludes amongmanyLuis EduardoReyes,Estela Lefiero,RaquelAraujo,Luis MarioMoncada,VictorWeinstock,SergioZurita,David Olguin, Jorge Celaya, AndriAnSotomayor,SilviaPelaez,AntonioSerrano,ArturoSastre,Angel Norzagaray,GabrielBarcenas,HernanGalindo,PhilipeAmand,andSandraF61ix. tparticipatesn Univer-sitytheatre,butseeks different esolutionsto the aesthetic,personal,social,andeco-nomicdifficulties hat face a generationofyoungMexicans n a societyintransition.Althoughsomecontinuitys evident,onemight arguethat this young generation sarduously working to discover new theatri-cal language to articulatetheir experiencesin a Mexico very different from that of theirteachers; a Mexico being transformed bytechnology, consumerism, mass media,andglobal politics andeconomics. The style and

content of their work reflect a frustrationwithand defiance of a state-party oliticalsystemunwillingorelinquish ower.Someof this sentiment is visible in the theatreproducedwithin he NationalAutonomousUniversity'sprograms.Othermanifesta-tions,perhaps he mostcritical,occur nal-ternativeheatre paces.Theyemergefromcollaborativeprojectswithyoung theatrepractitionersromotherregionsofMexicowhere the emphasison the autonomyandimportanceof regionaltheatreprojects snotableandreveals hisgeneration'searchforadequate esponses o Mexico'spresenteconomic and social crises.Theatre, due to the immediacy of thespectacle, s an idealspacefor such explo-ration.Afuture askwillbe to evaluatewhoof this generation s ableto utilize the me-dium successfully (success measured indiverse forms), and which aestheticprojectsaregiven access to the necessaryresources.Atfirstexamination,heprojectsof the UNAM's Center for Theatre andDance are a productivebeginningandrep-resent partof a largereffortto open thatspaceandenergizethe artform.E NOTES

'Throughout his essay, PI efers to personalinterviewsonductednMexicoduring1993and1994.2Duringhe NAFTAdebates,fourteennewscast-ers andradiocommentatorsosttheir obs.Aconver-sation between NAFTAcritics in Mexico and U.S.senators,contractedwithTELEVISA, media con-glomeratewithstrong ies to thegovernment,wascutoff, supposedly due to technical difficulties. Thisevent,however, s symptomatic f the organizedanddeliberate efforts by the Mexican governmenttosquelchcritics(delaGrange).3Someplaywrights re scheduled for futurepro-ductions.At the time of completing his essay, playtitles wereunavailable.4 Popularulture tselfis at times a problematicterm,one used here to refernotonlyto urbanmasscultureandthe culture ndustry asdoes the StudiesinLatinAmericanopular ulture),ut nabroadersense to includeregionalculturesandoppositionalconnotationsasdoes theJournalofPoplarCulture).SSterilization,hysical buseand hreats,andmas-sive expulsionsfromtheir communitieshave beencitedbythe ConsejoelRepresentantesndigenas e osAltosdeChiapas,s wellas bytheUnitedNationsCommissionfRefugeesndotherhumanights r-



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214 HISPANIA 78 MARCH 1995ganizations,as systematicstrategiesfor the controland elimination findigenouspopulations,specially,but notexclusively,nthe southern egionsofMexico(Laornada 9).E WORKS CITEDAponte,David. Linea irectaSanCrist6bal-Vaticano.Lafornada31 Oct. 1993:1+.. Pase lo que pase, sere fiel a la Iglesia yal Papa:RuizGarcia afornada7 Nov. 1993:1+.Aranda, esus. Cambiaanunciatura uimero efax,ante el alud de mensajesde apoyo Lafornada7Nov.1993:1+.Barthes,Roland.Mythologies.rans.JonathanCapeLtd.NewYork:HillandWang,1987.20th edition.Bartra,Roger.Lajaulade a melancolia.MexicoCity:Grijalbo, 987.Becerril,Andrea. Cay6 l minisalario 7.5% n s61odos sexenios:Congresode Trabajo. afornada14July1994:14+.Canclini,Nestor Garcia. CulturalReconversion.Trans. Holly Staver.In OnEdge. The CrisisofContemporaryLatin American Culture.Eds.George Yudice,Jean Franco,andJuanFlores.Minneapolis:U of MinnisotaP, 1992.ChabaudMagnus, Jaime. Laaprehensi6n de ladramaturgiaovende Mexico. Reforma 9June

1994:D13.Crestani,Antonio.Personal nterviews. ,8June1993.CrdnicaMixico.MexicoCity:UniversidadAut6nomade Mexico,1991.Grange,Betrandde la. Nervousgovernmentputspressureon Mexicanmedia. ManchesterGuard-ian Weekly24 ct. 1993: . Originally rintedn LeMonde12Oct.1993:np.

Dirlik,Arif. Culturism s HegemonicIdeologyandLiberatingPractice. CulturalCritique (1987):13-50.Enriquez,Jose Ram6n.PersonalInterviews.11,23July1994.Escobar,OlgaLucia. HugoHiriart.Elchiste estAenentraral detalle eatral. Macrdpolis 9July1993:90-94.Ita,Fernandode. Tovar de Teresaporsi mismo.Reforma 4July1994:D16.LaJornada. Riesgode zonas de miseriaanteexpul-siones en Chiapas:ndigenas. 9Sept.1993:9.L6pez,MariaLuisa. Alzana voz los mimoscalleje-ros. Reforma 7Aug.1994:D12.Monsiviis,Carlos.Amorperdido.exicoCity:Edicio-nes Era,1977.Perales,Rosalina.Teatro ispanoamericanoontempo-rdneo 1967-1987).Vol.I.MexicoCity:GrupoEdi-torialGaceta,1989.Reyes, LuisEduardo.Personalinterviews. MexicoCity.11,17July,1993.Rosaldo,Renato.Culture nd Truth.: heRemaking fSocialAnalysis.Boston:BeaconPress, 1989.Rowe,Williamand VivianSchelling. MemoryandModerninty.PopularCulture n LatinAmerica.London,New York:Verso,1991.Salinas,Adela. Celebran on teatrosu mediosiglo.Reforma July1994:D8.Solares, Ignacio. Entre elones, IgnacioSolares.Tierraadentro.Sept.-Oct.1993:15-18.Taylor,Diana.Theater f Crsis.DramaandPoliticsin Latin America.Lexington:UP of Kentucky,1991.UslarPietri,Arturo. Landustria ultural. eforma.6July1994:A10.Vega,Oscar.Personal nterviews.MexicoCity.14,21July1993.

Constantino University Theatre and Cultural Politics in Contemporary Mexican Society

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