Insertion and Desertion of Ibsenian Dramaturgy in Buenos Aires (c. 1890-1930)

Abstract

Henrik Ibsen’s dramaturgy arrived in Buenos Aires in 1890, many years before the emergence of realistic acting in Argentina. Nonetheless, ibsenian realism had a high circulation and productivity in the nineteenth-century local scene and its importation contributed to the consolidation of this poetic within the theatrical field. The propulsive trajectory of this repertory was dissociated from the interests that the author’s late-romantic work arose in the literary field and the liberal press of the time. The early divulgation of fantastic plays and historical dramas in the mass media coexisted with a scarce presence of his plays on stage. The constitution of a truly “realistic taste” amongst the local audience deepened the relegation of that repertory during the 20th century.