El corral de comedias en Tecali de Herrera

• Autores: José Antonio Terán Bonilla
• Localización: Bitácora Arquitectura, ISSN-e 2594-0856, Nº. 20, 2010 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Bitácora 20), págs. 72-74
• Idioma: español
• Títulos paralelos:
  • The “corral de comedias” at Tecali de Herrera, Mexico
• Enlaces
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• Resumen
  • español

    En la parte central del estado de Puebla se localiza el poblado de Tecali de Herrera, famoso, entre otras razones, por su convento franciscano del siglo XVI, por su parroquia y por las cercanas canteras de alabastro. El pueblo además posee un corral de comedias, inmueble único en su género. Para entender su importancia nos remontaremos a los orígenes de este tipo de construcciones. En España, durante la Edad Media, las obras teatrales se realizaban al aire libre en las plazas de ciudades y pueblos. A principios del siglo XVI empezaron a representarse en espacios abiertos de ciudades y pueblos. A principios del siglo XVI empezaron a representarse en espacios abiertos delimitados por casas. Un tablado a manera de escenario se colocaba en la fachada de alguna de las casas, mientras que los espectadores se situaban en los balcones de las otras o en la misma plaza.

  • English

    Conceived as vernacular theatres during the Spanish Golden Age, the “corrales de comedias” (much like London’s Globe Theatre though rectangular in plan) represent the transition from street performances into fixed constructions built solely for theatrical representations. Mexico City was the first in New Spain to build its own “corral”, in 1597. The one at Tecali de Herrera was located on one of the plots next to the main plaza. For many years forgotten, it was not until 1979 that the governor of the state of Puebla became interested in it and started restoration works. An absolut lack of attention had only deepened its already profound state of deterioration and not much remained of the original building; therefore, a great amount of research was needed to discover the original layout. From this research, along with the plan, the materials used, and the balustrades, it is possible to assume that the “corral” was built at the end of the Eighteenth Century or at the beginning of the Nineteenth. According to locals the “corral de comedias” was abandoned at the time of the Mexican Revolution, for the structure of the roof was used by battalions as wood fire and for cooking. Restoration work finished in 1980, and the theatre was renamed as Teatro Gregorio de Gante. Today, the “corral” has once again fallen into oblivion, rendering it almost useless. Once again, its restoration has become of primary importance, for it is the only building in the country that, although horseshoe shaped, holds many formal aspects of the more traditional, rectangular “corrales”, such as its small scale, wooden roofs, and the simple design of stage, circle and aisles.