Teatro Principal (Guanajuato) facts for kids
The Teatro Principal (which means Main Theater) is a famous building in the city of Guanajuato, Mexico. It is a theater that first opened in the 1700s. It was the very first theater in Guanajuato. You can find it on Mendizábal Street, right where it meets Avenida Juarez.
The Theater's Early Days
This beautiful building was finished in 1788. It was built in a style called Neoclassical, which means it looked like old Greek and Roman buildings. When it first opened, it was called "Corral de Comedias." Back then, Guanajuato was a very busy mining city. The theater was built to give people a fun place to go. Everyone, no matter their social class, was allowed to come in and enjoy the shows.
Changes Over Time
By the early 1800s, the Teatro Principal was thought to be one of the best theaters in all of Mexico. It was updated several times, including in 1826 and 1831. But later on, the theater started to fall apart and had to close its doors.
After the Mexican Revolution, the building was changed into a movie theater. However, a fire in 1921 caused it to close again. It stayed closed for many years, until the 1950s.
A New Beginning
In the 1950s, the theater was completely rebuilt. It was made ready for its current use as a place for live performances. The theater reopened on September 16, 1955. This time, it had new design elements called Art Deco, which was a popular style back then.
Today, the University of Guanajuato takes care of the Teatro Principal. They use it to host many different cultural events. You can often see plays and contemporary dance performances there. It is also a very important place for the Festival Internacional Cervantino, which is a big international arts festival.
See also
- Teatro Principal de Guanajuato para niños (in Spanish)
