Teatro Español (Madrid)
Address | Madrid Spain |
---|---|
Type | Theatre |
Capacity | 763 |
Construction | |
Opened | 21 September 1583 |
Rebuilt | 1887–1895 |
Architect | Román Guerrero |
Website | |
https://www.teatroespanol.es/en |
Teatro Español ('Español Theatre' or 'Spanish Theatre'), formerly Teatro del Príncipe and Corral del Príncipe, is a public theatre administered by the Government of Madrid, Spain. The original location was an open-air theatre in medieval times, where short performances and some theatrical pieces, which became part of famous classical literature in later years, were staged.[1] Its establishment was authorized by a royal decree of Philip II in 1565.[2]
The 18th century also marked the definitive establishment of Teatro del Príncipe, which had its own group of followers, the "chorizos," and were in constant struggle with the "polacos," who preferred the performances of the rival Teatro de la Cruz. By this time, Leandro Fernández de Moratín premiered La comedia nueva at Teatro del Príncipe. On 11 July 1802, the theatre was engulfed by fire, and re-opened five years later[3] with the final renovations supervised by architect Juan de Villanueva.[4]
The current building, erected in
History
Teatro del Príncipe
The former Teatro del Príncipe, or Corral del Príncipe, was a theatre of zarzuelas acquired by the brotherhood Cofradía de la Pasión y de la Soledad on 9 February 1580.[8] By the end of that year, Corral de la Pacheca was acquired by the same brotherhood, which also bought two other buildings from Álava de Ibarra, doctor to Philip II, and another sold by Don Rodrigo de Herrera. It was built from 7 May 1582 with opening on 21 September of the following year with a play by Vázquez and John of Ávila.[8]
The theatre consisted of a stage, costume room, bleachers for men, ninety five portable banks, a hall for women, balconies with iron railings or grilles, master channels and roofs covering the stands.[8] The courtyard was paved and an awning made to block the sun, but not the rain.[8] This original structure was maintained until 1735, when a new building, concluded in ten years, was erected by architect Juan Bautista Sacchetti in cooperation with Ventura Rodríguez.[9] At that time its name was changed from Corral del Príncipe to Teatro del Príncipe.[10] Later, the site became a theatre of work which was one of the largest in the country. In 1849, it was transformed into the current Teatro Español,[11] the only theatre in Madrid really similar to an ancient open-air theatre.
During the reign of Philip II, the City Council in Madrid established two permanent playhouses or "corrales". One was Corral de la Cruz and the other Teatro del Principe, both housed at
In the 18th century, both theatres were demolished and rebuilt in
Teatro Español
In 1825, under the direction of French impresario
Between 1887 and 1894, the architect Roman Guerrero extensively renovated the theatre in its present appearance.
Between 1930 and 1935, except for February and May 1931,[19] the theatre was occupied by the companies of Margarita Xirgu, and Enrique Borrás, through which the works of Federico Garcia Lorca and Rafael Alberti premiered under the direction of Cipriano Rivas Cherif.[20] In October 1935, the concession granted to them passed over to Ricardo Calvo's and Enrique Borrás' for a period of one year,[21] later revoked in March 1936.[11] During the period of the Spanish Civil War, the concession of the theatre was in the hands of actor Manuel González, who staged El alcalde de Zalamea on 28 March 1939,[22] the day the troops of Francisco Franco took Madrid.
After the war, Teatro Español underwent a major change in its legal status. It reopened on 15 April 1939, coinciding with the death anniversary of Serafín Álvarez Quintero. The ownership of the facility remained in the hands of the City Council, although the management was assumed by the Government of Spain. Between the end of the war and the mid-1940s, the concession of the theatre was handed over to the companies of Ana Adamuz, Nini Montian-Guillermo Marin, Fernando Díaz de Mendoza y Guerrero-María Guerrero López.
The organizational unit was in charge of the Ministry of Education of Spain and the National Ministry of Education until 1951, and the Ministry of Information and Tourism from then on. After ten consecutive years, the management of the theatre was in the hands of Cayetano Luca de Tena, until in 1954 the authorities handed over the administration to José Tamayo and his company "Lope de Vega," in which actors Carlos Lemos,
Directors
Some of the directors included:
- Federico Balart (1890–1905)
- Fernando Díaz de Mendoza (1905–1908)
- Manuel González (During the Spanish Civil War)
- Felipe Lluch (1940–1941)
- Cayetano Luca de Tena (1942–1952)
- José Tamayo (1954–1962)
- Cayetano Luca de Tena (1962–1964)
- Adolfo Marsillach (1965–1966)
- Miguel Narros (1966–1970)
- Alberto González Vergel (1970–1976)
- José Luis Alonso Mañés (1979–1983)
- José Luis Gómez (1983–1984)
- Miguel Narros (1984–1989)
- Gustavo Pérez Puig (1990–2003)
- Mario Gas (2004–2012)
- Natalio Grueso (since 2012)
References
- ^ "El Teatro Español" (in Spanish). Official website of El Teatro Español. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
- ^ Teatro Espanol. "El Teatro Español" (in Spanish). Teatroespanol.es. Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
- ISBN 9788483710180.
- ISBN 9781855661141.
- ^ a b c d Minchot 2002, p. 88.
- ^ del Corral 2008, p. 139.
- ^ Duncan 2007, p. 76.
- ^ a b c d Ayuntamiento de Madrid. "Síntesis histórica: de corral a coliseo" (in Spanish). Madri.es. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
- ^ RTVE (17 September 2012). "Teatro Español nos muestra sus secretos y su alma" (in Spanish). RTVE. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
- ^ Montoliú 2002, p. 285.
- ^ a b c d e Hemeroteca. "El Teatro" (in Spanish). Hemeroteca.abc.es. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
- ISBN 9788476580967.
- ISBN 9780521020237.
- ISBN 9788400077686.
- ^ Tamayo, Vitorino (5 August 2019). El elegante Manuel Catalina.
- ISBN 9788483711699.
- ISBN 9788489492455.
- ISBN 9788424505677.
- ISBN 9788424507619.
- ISBN 9788424511104.
- ^ Diario ABC (1935). Noticias teatrales.
- ISBN 9783931887926.
- ISBN 9788483718605.
- ^ Carabantes, Manuel Muñoz. "Puesta en escena y recepción del Teatro Clásico y Medieval en España" (PDF).
- ISBN 9788424509606.
- ISBN 9788446008279.
- ^ El País (15 April 1980). "oy se vuelve a abrir el teatro Español con el estreno de "La dama de Alejandría", de Calderón". El País.
- ^ El Mundo. "El Teatro Español inaugura nuevo espacio en el Matadero".
Bibliography
- del Corral, José (2008). Gentes en el Madrid del XVII: formas de vida en el Siglo de Oro (in Spanish). Silex Ediciones. ISBN 978-84-7737-210-3.
- Duncan, Michael (1 February 2007). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Madrid. Dorling Kindersley US. ISBN 978-0-7566-5062-9.
- Minchot, Pia (2002). Madrid, Metropolis. A. Asppan S.L. ISBN 978-84-89439-89-4.
- Montoliú, Pedro (2002). Madrid, Villa y Corte: Calles y Plazas (in Spanish). Silex Ediciones. ISBN 8477371121.