Florencio Sánchez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Florencio Sánchez
|
|
|---|---|
Photograph from the Collection Aníbal Barrios Pintos, National Library of Uruguay.
|
|
| Born |
Florencio Sánchez
January 17, 1875 |
| Died | November 7, 1910 (aged 35) |
| Nationality | Uruguayan |
| Occupation | writer, journalist, politic |
| Spouse(s) | Catalina Raventos |
Florencio Sánchez (born January 17, 1875 – died November 7, 1910) was a famous writer of plays, a journalist, and a political person from Uruguay. Many people see him as one of the most important people who helped start theater in the River Plate area, which includes parts of Argentina and Uruguay.
Contents
Florencio Sánchez's Early Life
Florencio Sánchez was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. He had eleven brothers and sisters. His family moved often, first to Treinta y Tres and then to Minas. He went to elementary school in Minas.
Even when he was very young, Florencio showed a talent for writing. He wrote funny articles for a newspaper. He also acted and wrote for family musicals.
Moving Between Cities
After high school, Sánchez spent his time in different cities. He lived in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, and Rosario. In these cities, he worked hard as a journalist and playwright.
In Montevideo, he joined a group called the International Center for Social Studies. This was a literary organization. In Rosario, he worked as a secretary for a newspaper called La República. He published his first writings about society and politics there. These early works showed his realistic and sharp writing style. This style later became famous in his plays.
In 1892, Sánchez moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina. He stayed there for two years. When he returned to Montevideo in 1894, he worked for newspapers like El Nacional, La Razón, and El Siglo. He wrote political articles and interviews. In Buenos Aires, he became well-known as a journalist. He also started to spend time with other smart people and enjoy the city's night life.
Getting Involved in Politics
In 1897, a civil war started in Uruguay. Florencio Sánchez returned home to fight in the war. He fought with Aparicio Saravia, a conservative leader. This continued his family's history of being involved in politics. During this time, he met other important thinkers like Eduardo Acevedo Díaz.
After the war, he became interested in anarchism. This is a political idea where people believe society should have no government. He wrote for anarchist newspapers like La Protesta and the magazine El Sol. His plays Ladrones (Thieves) and Puertas adentro (Doors Within) showed his anarchist ideas.
Florencio Sánchez's Theater Career
On August 13, 1903, Florencio Sánchez's first play was performed. It was called M'hijo el dotor (My Son, the Doctor). The play was shown at the Comedy Theater in Buenos Aires and was a big hit.
After this success, he wrote many more plays very quickly. These plays were also popular in both Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Some of his new plays included a funny play called La gente honesta (The Honest People). He also wrote his most famous play, Canillita (The Newspaper Vendor). This play was even turned into an operetta, which is like a small opera.
Life After Success
After the success of M'hijo el dotor, Sánchez married Catalina Raventos on September 25, 1903. They had been together since 1897.
Florencio Sánchez often had money problems. He would sell his plays to theater owners and actors for very little money when he needed it. He sometimes took money for plays he hadn't even started writing yet. He would also write plays very quickly and give them away without checking them carefully.
In 1906, Sánchez moved to La Plata, Argentina. He worked for an office that identified people using their body measurements. Around this time, he got tuberculosis. This was a serious lung disease that was common back then.
Journey to Europe
For many years, Sánchez wanted to go to Europe. He hoped to make his plays successful there and earn more money. In 1909, he finally got the chance. He sailed on an Italian ship and arrived in Genova, Italy, on October 13.
In Italy, he tried to connect with theater companies. He wanted his plays to be shown in Spain and France. In 1910, he received money for his play Los muertos (The Dead). Sadly, he spent all the money very quickly in Niza.
After traveling through Italy and southern France, he went to Milan. Milan was an important city for theater. He wanted to meet more theater owners there. However, his tuberculosis was getting worse. Doctors told him to go to Switzerland, hoping the clean mountain air would help him. But when he arrived in Switzerland, hotels and hospitals would not let him in because his disease was contagious.
He returned to Milan and was admitted to a hospital on November 2. Florencio Sánchez died on November 7, 1910. He was only thirty-five years old.
Florencio Sánchez was a very good observer of people. His plays often focused on families, apartment buildings (called tenements), and immigrants. He showed the lives of different social classes in the River Plate region. Through his characters' daily lives and conversations, he showed both the struggles and hopes of working-class people.
Florencio Sánchez's Famous Plays
Florencio Sánchez is known as Uruguay's most important playwright. Here are some of his dramatic plays:
- La gente honesta (The Honest People) - A funny play first shown on June 26, 1903.
- M'hijo el dotor (My Son, the Doctor) - A comedy in three acts, first shown on August 13, 1903.
- Canillita (The Newspaper Vendor) - A funny play first shown on October 2, 1903.
- Cédulas de San Juan (The Raffle of the Night of St. John) - A funny play in two acts, first shown on August 7, 1904.
- La pobre gente (The Poor People) - A comedy in two acts, first shown in October 1904.
- La gringa (The Gringa) - A comedy in four acts, first shown on November 21, 1904.
- Barranca abajo (Downwards Gully) - A sad play in three acts, first shown on April 26, 1905.
- Mano santa (Holy Hand) - A funny play first shown on June 9, 1905.
- En familia (In the Family) - A comedy in three acts, first shown on October 6, 1905.
- Los muertos (The Dead) - A comedy in three acts, first shown on October 23, 1905.
- El conventillo (The Tenement) - A traditional Spanish operetta, first shown on June 22, 1906.
- El desalojo (The Eviction) - A funny play first shown on July 16, 1906.
- El pasado (The Past) - A comedy in three acts, first shown on October 22, 1906.
- Los curdas (The Drunkards) - A funny play first shown on January 2, 1907.
- La tigra (The Tigress) - A funny play first shown on January 2, 1907.
- Moneda falsa (The Counterfeit) - A funny play first shown on January 8, 1907.
- El cacique Pichuelo (Chief Pichuelo) - A traditional Spanish operetta, first shown on January 9, 1907.
- Los derechos de la salud (Health Rights) - A comedy in three acts, first shown on December 4, 1907.
- Nuestros hijos (Our Children) - A comedy in three acts, first shown in June 1908.
- Marta Gruni - A funny play first shown in July 1908. It was later used for an opera.
- Un buen negocio (A Good Business) - A comedy in two acts, first shown on May 2, 1909.
Images for kids
-
Photograph from the Collection Aníbal Barrios Pintos, National Library of Uruguay.
See also
In Spanish: Florencio Sánchez para niños
