Concept in Definition ABC

Astracanada or Astrakhan, as it is also called, is a Comic theatrical subgenre that turned out to be very popular in Spain, during the first half of the last century.

The main situation that determined the appearance of this subgenus was the crisis that the traditional sainetes were going through, that is to say, it did not matter if there was water in terms of plot plausibility, if the absurd was constantly resorted to or if there was no quality literary, the mission was clear: to replace the farce and make the public laugh at any cost.

Among its most recognizable characteristics are: dramatization of reality itself, exploitation of resources like the pun (figure of repetition that consists of rearranging the elements of a sentence differently, in another, in order to generate contrast), the sentimental falsehoods, the absurd situations, deformations of the language, crude word games, regional typification of speech, use of proper names that give way to easy misunderstanding and jokes

, that is, everything that happens in the astracanada is subject to the joke.

Meanwhile, the most prominent figure of this su gender comic is the call cool, an extremely witty character, who oscillates between the manners and the comic, reaching the profile of rogue who invents situations or realities, although without evil real and that always turn out to be discovered and ridiculed by the environment.

Although the astracanada was an extremely popular artistic proposal during those times mentioned, to which audiences eager for fun and escape turned out phenomenally, on very few occasions it managed to stand out by reaching level literary, therefore, with the passage of time it was fading until it practically disappeared as such.

The figures The most prominent of this subgenus have been Pedro Muñoz Seca (The revenge of Don Mendo, The executioner of Seville and Los Extremadura touches each other) and Pedro Pérez Fernández.

Themes in Astracanada