Puerto Rican Literature - Playwrights and Essayists

Playwrights and Essayists

One of Puerto Rico's greatest essayists and playwrights was Francisco Arriví (1915–2007) known as "The Father of the Puerto Rican Theater". Arriví who used a style known as "Areyto" presented in 1955, what is considered by many as one of greatest works, "Bolero y plena" at the University Theater and in 1958, he presented "Vejigantes" in the First Festival of Puerto Rican Theater. These were followed by "Sirena" (Mermaid) and "Medusa en la Bahía" (Medusa in the Bay). Arriví gained international recognition and his plays were presented abroad. He was instrumental in the establishemnt of various theater festivals and in the establishment of the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré (Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center) in Puerto Rico. Among the other great playwrights of Puerto Rico are René Marqués, whose "Oxcart" (La carreta) follows the hardships of a Puerto Rican family that moves from the island to New York City and whose El puertorriqueño dócil y otros ensayos describes the psychological and political realities of the island, José Luis González, whose País de cuatro pisos y otros ensayos describes the rigid structures of island society, and Luis Rafael Sánchez, whose plays, short stories, essays, and novels, especially "La guaracha del Macho Camacho" (translated by Gregory Rabassa as "Macho Camacho's Beat") have rendered him one of Puerto Rico's greatest contemporary writers. Younger contemporary Puerto Rican playwrights include Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya, founder of Casa Cruz de la Luna in San Germán, Puerto Rico. Also notable in this category is playwright and screenwriter José Rivera, the first Puerto Rican screenwriter to be nominated for an Academy Award.