Description
Book SynopsisThis book analyzes the role of the theatrical simpleton in the pasos of the sixteenth-century playwright Lupe de Rueda, in Mario Morenoâs character âœCantinflas,â and in the esquirol of the 1960s Actos of the Teatro Campesino during the California farmworker strikes.
Trade ReviewMéndez Montesinos' valuable study concerns itself particularly with popular performances that feature a buffoon or comic simpleton, and develops case studies from three geographical regions. . . .Enlightening comparisons are the highlight of this interesting and well-written book, and they lead the reader to speculate about other contexts, periods, and places in which similar structures and traditions emerge. * Comparative Drama *
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter One: On Laughter, Fools, and Comedy Chapter Two: Simple, Peladito, and Rasquachi: Topsy-Turvying Identities Chapter Three: The Verbal and Kinesthetic Language of the Simpleton Chapter Four: Costumes and Other External Signs Conclusion Bibliography
