The sainete is a subgenre of theater.
The subgenres within theater can be divided into major ( tragedy, drama and comedy ) and minor ( auto sacramental, sainete and entremés ); The former are complex performances, divided into several acts, while the latter are generally made up of a single act and last a short time.
The word sainete is used to identify pieces that are part of the dramatic genre, have humorous content and that take place in a single act . In ancient times, these works were carried out during an intermission or after the end of a function . It should be noted that this word is also used to name the play , generally with comic characteristics, which has a popular setting and characters and which is organized in one or more acts, as an independent staging.
For example: “Next weekend a farce directed by Héctor Gozniak will premiere at the Teatro del Pueblo” , “A beggar, a street vendor and a prostitute are the protagonists of the farce that was awarded the Excellence Award” , “I don't like farces, I prefer tragedies.”
Origins and main authors
The sainete is considered to be a theatrical subgenre that replaced the entremés during the 18th century . This work had a strong humorous tone and reflected popular ideas and customs .
Some authors who especially excelled in this genre were the Álvarez Quintero Brothers and Carlos Arniches, who knew how to bring to the stage a much more lively show with a colloquial language that allowed us to see everyday Madrid reflected in a work.
The origins of the farce date back to the 18th century.
Characteristics of the sainete
The fundamental characteristics of the genre are to show a light expressiveness represented in a popular and extremely realistic environment ; It also had documentary value, faithfully showing how people lived and thought in a given society and, above all, it showed the importance of identifying with one's homeland and joining others in the same nationalist fervor.
On the other hand, they were works that lacked artifice on stage because they were considered smaller in scope than large works, but although this made them simpler, it also brought them closer to the people and made them look more spontaneous and fresh.
As time went by, sainete incorporated elements from other genres such as zarzuela and melodrama, combining humor, morality, songs and dances.
Historical evolution
Sainetes were very common during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries; they were substitutes for hors d'oeuvres, another minor work that also served as support for larger works. Some of its main representatives were Luis Moncín, Juan Ignacio González del Castillo, Antonio Furmento Bazo, and Gaspar Zavala y Zamora.
At the end of the 19th century this subgenre crossed the ocean and began to be cultivated in the Río de la Plata, so much so that it gave rise to another subgenre, the criollo grotesque , similar to the sainete in its irony and folkloric tinge but with a more dramatic and gloomy character and that represented the customs of these coasts. Armando Discépolo was one of its fundamental authors.
It is interesting to add that the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) recognizes other meanings for the notion of farce. Depending on the institution, it may be a snack that is pleasant to the taste or palate, with a mild and delicate flavor, a sauce that complements some delicacies to improve their flavor, a thing that serves to enhance the merit of something, or a special ornamentation on dresses.