Pedro Muñoz Seca facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pedro Muñoz Seca
Born	Pedro Muñoz Seca (1879-02-20)20 February 1879 Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain
Died	28 November 1936(1936-11-28) (aged 57) Paracuellos de Jarama, Spain
Occupation	Writer, dramatist
Language	Spanish
Nationality	Spanish
Genre	Astracanada
Spouse	María Asunción Ariza Díez de Bunes

Pedro Muñoz Seca (born February 20, 1879 – died November 28, 1936) was a famous Spanish writer. He was known for writing funny plays. Pedro was one of the most successful playwrights of his time.

He wrote about 300 plays. Some were short funny scenes called sainetes. Others were longer plays. He often worked with other writers like Pedro Pérez Fernández. His most famous play is La venganza de Don Mendo (Don Mendo's Revenge), written in 1918. Other important plays include La barba de Carrillo (Carrillo's Beard) and Pepe Conde.

Early Life and Education

Pedro Muñoz Seca was born in a big family. His hometown was El Puerto de Santa María, in Cadiz, Spain. This was on February 20, 1879. Pedro loved numbers that read the same forwards and backwards. So, he sometimes joked he was born in 1881. He also claimed he was born at 10:15 pm. He said this was "the normal time for shows to start."

Pedro went to primary school at San Luis Gonzaga. This was a Jesuit school in his hometown. Later, he moved to Seville to study. He studied philosophy and law. He finished his studies in 1901. Even while he was a student, his first plays were performed. These plays were shown in El Puerto de Santa María and Seville.

Moving to Madrid and Family Life

After graduating, Pedro Muñoz Seca moved to Madrid. There, he taught different languages. He taught Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. He also worked as a lawyer. He often went to meetings with other writers. At one of these meetings, he met Sebastian Alonso. They worked together on a play called El Contrabando. This play was first performed in 1904.

In 1908, Pedro started working for the government. He got a job in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Soon after, he married María Asunción Ariza Díez de Bulnes. They had nine children together.

Career as a Playwright

Pedro Muñoz Seca's plays were very funny. He often used slang, jokes, and wordplay. He also used funny characters and surprising plot twists. He even created a new type of funny play. This style was called astracañada. The most famous example is La venganza de Don Mendo. This play made fun of the romantic stories popular in Spain.

Pedro's popularity grew a lot after La venganza de Don Mendo. Many of his later plays were also very successful. These include La pluma verde (1922) and Los chatos (1924). Other hits were La tela (1925) and Los extremeños se tocan (1927). These plays helped define his unique astracañada style.

Later Years and Challenges

In 1931, the Second Spanish Republic was formed. Pedro Muñoz Seca was at the peak of his career. However, he started writing fewer plays. Important works from this time include Anacleto se divorcia (1932) and La voz de su amo (1933).

Pedro was a supporter of the king. He was also a friend of King Alfonso XIII of Spain. His plays La oca (1931) and Jabalí (1932) openly criticized the new Republic. In July 1936, the Spanish Civil War began. Pedro was arrested in Barcelona. He was later moved to Madrid.

Pedro was known for his humor, even in tough times. When he was questioned, he famously said: "You can take my home, my land, my money, even—as you are going to do—my life. But there is one thing you cannot take from me—the fear that I have!" Sadly, on November 28, 1936, he was killed by a firing squad. His last words to them were: "I am starting to believe you are not intending to count me among your friends!"

Legacy and Recognition

Two theaters are named in Pedro Muñoz Seca's honor. One is the Pedro Muñoz Seca Municipal Theater. It is in his hometown of El Puerto de Santa María. The other is the Muñoz Seca Theater in Madrid.

In 1995, the Pedro Muñoz Seca Foundation was created. This foundation is supported by his family and the local government. The foundation has a small museum. It is dedicated to Pedro in his old family home.

Pedro Muñoz Seca is also the grandfather of a Spanish writer. This writer is Alfonso Ussía, a well-known journalist.

Dramatic Works

See also

In Spanish: Pedro Muñoz Seca para niños