Aztecs on Stage:Religious Theater in Colonial Mexico

Description

Nahuatl drama| one of the most surprising results of the Catholic presence in colonial Mexico| merges medieval European religious theater with the language and performance traditions of the Aztec (Nahua) people of central Mexico.
Franciscan missionaries| seeking effective tools for evangelization| fostered this new form of theater after observing the Nahuas’ enthusiasm for elaborate performances.
The plays became a controversial component of native Christianity| allowing Nahua performers to present Christian discourse in ways that sometimes effected subtle changes in meaning.
The Indians’ enthusiastic embrace of alphabetic writing enabled the use of scripts| but the genre was so unorthodox that Spanish censors prevented the plays’ publication.
As a result| colonial Nahuatl drama survives only in scattered manuscripts| most of them anonymous| some of them passed down and recopied over generations.
“Aztecs on Stage” presents accessible English translations of six of these seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Nahuatl plays.
All are based on European dramatic traditions| such as the morality and passion plays; indigenous actors played the roles of saints| angels| devils–and even the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ.
Louise M.
Burkhart’s engaging introduction places the plays in historical context| while stage directions and annotations in the works provide insight into the Nahuas’ production practices| which often incorporated elaborate sets| props| and special effects including fireworks and music.
The translations facilitate classroom readings and performances while retaining significant artistic features of the Nahuatl originals.