Alternate Author Name(s)

Dr. Ramon Layera, PhD '77

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

1977

Keywords

Agustín Cuzzani (1924-1987), Criticism and interpretation, 20th century Spanish American drama, History and criticism

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Comparative Literature

First Advisor

George E. Wellwarth

Second Advisor

Haskell M. Block

Third Advisor

Sandra Cypess

Abstract

This study deals with the Latin American theater of social protest and denunciation, one of the most recurrent and representative variants of contemporary Latin American drama. The introductory analysis attempts to show the significance of this style of dramatic composition in the general context of Latin American literature. The introductory survey is followed by a comparative analysis of the dramatic production by Agustín Cuzzani and Sergio Vodanovic, representative authors of contemporary Argentine and Chilean drama, respectively.

Both the introductory overview and the comparative analysis of Cuzzani’s and Vodanovic’s works serve the two-fold function of demonstrating the value of the new perspectives introduced to the genre by this specific dramatic style as well as delineating the special contribution made to the mode of protest and denunciation by two important authors from two distinguished national dramas. The comparative analysis limits its scope to the study of two playwrights whose works present clearly discernible, uniformly idiosyncratic characteristics both in style and source of inspiration. It is followed by translations of Cuzzani’s Para que se cumplan las Escrituras (So That the Scriptures May Be Fulfilled, 1965) and Vodanovic’s Igual que antes (Same As Ever, Unpublished manuscript, 1972-73). Both plays are the most recent of these authors’ dramatic productions and represent the last stage in the progressive development of their craft.

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