Rodolfo Usigli facts for kids

Rodolfo Usigli (born November 17, 1905 – died June 18, 1979) was a famous Mexican writer. He wrote plays, essays, and also worked as a diplomat for his country. Many people called him "the father of Mexican theater" because he helped shape what Mexican plays were about. He was also known as the "playwright of the Mexican Revolution" because his plays often talked about this important time in Mexico's history. In 1972, he won the National Prize for Arts and Sciences for his amazing work in theater.

Rodolfo Usigli's Life Story

Usigli was born in Mexico City. His father was from Italy and his mother was from Poland. When he was a little boy, he loved going to plays with his parents. His father wanted him to study music, so Usigli spent a year at the National Conservatory of Music. But he soon realized his true passion was theater.

He later studied drama at the Yale School of Drama in the United States from 1935 to 1936. He received a special scholarship from the Rockefeller Foundation to do this. After his studies, he became a professor and a diplomat. In 1945, while working as a diplomat in London, he met the famous writer George Bernard Shaw.

When Usigli returned to Mexico, he started a theater group called the Midnight Theater. He also joined a group of writers who worked on a magazine called Contemporary. In the 1930s, he even directed plays for the radio.

Usigli's Plays and Ideas

Usigli's plays often explored the history of Mexico. He also liked to make fun of Mexican society during his time. He showed how the middle class in Mexico felt let down after the Mexican Revolution. His plays pointed out the fake parts of life after the revolution. He criticized society but also showed good examples for people to follow.

He strongly believed that Mexican theater should show the real experiences of Mexican people. He wanted plays to express the true spirit of Mexico.

One of his most famous plays is El gesticulador (The Imposter), written in 1938. This play criticized big problems in Mexico, like how some people misused their power after the 1910 Revolution. The Mexican government tried to stop the play from being shown, but this only made Usigli more famous!

In 1942, Usigli published another strong play called Family Dinner at Home. This play focused on the richest people in Mexican society. Usigli also tried writing crime stories. His novel Ensayo de un crimen (Rehearsal for a Crime) was even made into a movie in 1955 by Luis Buñuel. Besides plays and novels, Usigli wrote many essays about history, art, and theater. He also wrote some interesting poems.

Usigli believed that theater should always tell the truth about society. He was also known for creating strong female characters in his plays. Two of his students, Rosario Castellanos and Luisa Josefina Hernández, became important female writers in Mexican theater. He also influenced other writers like Jorge Ibargüengoitia and Josefina Niggli.

Rodolfo Usigli Archive

You can find many of Rodolfo Usigli's papers at the Rodolfo Usigli Archive. This special collection is located at Miami University in Ohio. It has letters, drafts of his plays, photos, essays, books, and many other items related to his life and work.

Selected Works

Plays

• Tres comedias impolíticas (Three Impolitic Comedies), 1935
• El niño y la niebla (The Boy and the Mist), 1936
• Otra primavera (Another Spring)
• Medio tono (Middle Class)
• Mientras amemos (As Long as We Love), begun 1937-38, completed 1948
• El gesticulador (The Imposter), 1938
• La familia cena en casa (Family Dinner at Home), 1942
• Vacaciones (Holidays)
• La mujer no hace milagros (The Woman Does Not Work Miracles)
• La función de la despedida, 1949
• Los fugitivos, produced 1950, published 1951
• Jano es una muchacha, 1952
• Las madres, 1960
• The Corona Trilogy:
  • Corona de sombra (Crown of Shadow), 1943
  • Corona de Fuego (Crown of Fire), 1960
  • Corona de Luz, (Crown of Light), 1963

Poetry

• Conversación desesperada (Desperate Conversation), 1938
• Sonetos del tiempo y de la muerte (Sonnets of Time and Death), 1954
• Tiempo y memoria en conversación desesperada, 1981

Novels

• Ensayo de un crimen (Rehearsal for a Crime), 1944

Non-fiction

• México en el teatro (Mexico in Theatre), 1932
• Caminos del teatro en México (Paths of the Theatre in Mexico), 1933
• Anatomía del teatro (Anatomy of Theatre), written 1939, published 1967
• Itinerario del autor dramático (Itinerary of a Dramatist), 1940
• Juan Ruiz de Alarcón en el tiempo, 1967
• Ideas sobre el teatro (Ideas about the Theatre), 1968
• Imagen y prisma de México (1972)

Memoirs

• Conversaciónes y encuentros (Conversations and Encounters), 1974
  • translated into English in a critical edition as You Have Nothing to Learn from Me: A Literary Relationship Between George Bernard Shaw and Rodolfo Usigli, 2011.

See also

In Spanish: Rodolfo Usigli para niños