Copyright by Sandra Edith Sotelo-Miller 2016 The Dissertation Committee for Sandra Edith Sotelo-Miller Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: “Hazme un Guagüis”: The politics of Relajo, Humor, Gender, and Sexuality in Teatro de Revista, Teatro de Carpa, and Cabaret Político in Mexico City Committee: Héctor Domínguez Ruvalcaba, Supervisor Jason Borge Laura G. Gutiérrez Naomi Lindstrom Lorraine Moore “Hazme un Guagüis”: The politics of Relajo, Humor, Gender and Sexuality in Teatro de Revista, Teatro de Carpa, and Cabaret Político in Mexico City by Sandra Edith Sotelo-Miller B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2016 Dedication A mi papá, Gilberto Sotelo Ávila. Acknowledgements I would like to thank several people who have helped me on this journey. To Professor Héctor Domínguez-Ruvalcaba, thank you for guiding me through this process via countless conversations, suggestions, and most importantly by asking questions that challenged me and helped shape my research. I am also indebted to Professor Laura Gutiérrez who introduced and guided me in the understanding of the work of amazing Mexican and Latino artists and intellectuals. The hours you spent discussing their work with me through Skype or a delicious home cooked meal were invaluable to me. I would also like to thank Prof. Naomi Lindstrom for inviting me to explore the work of Jesusa Rodríguez in her “Writing and Gender in Spanish American Literature” class. The essay I wrote changed the course of my career and led to my first publication. To the rest of my committee that patiently embarked on this long-term commitment, thank you for your faith in me. Each of you has been a catalyst in this process, and without each of your support, this project would not have been possible. I would also like to thank Laura Rodríguez. I don’t know where graduate students in this department would be without you, thank you for your words of encouragement, open door, and care. My deepest gratitude also goes to my mother, Tracy Miller, who has inspired me to be perseverant and to follow my dreams. You have been both my model and my rock. To my brothers, Gustavo and Gilberto, and to my sister, Laura, thank you for the encouragement, for checking in on me, and for reminding me that there are other things as important as my dissertation. Most importantly thank you for being an inspiration, I am in awe of each of you. I also am deeply thankful to my father, Gilberto Sotelo Ávila, v who saw me begin this journey and has been with me every step of the way. To my pride and joy – Ingrid, Galia, Edith, Merrick, and Elise – for making smile and laugh and making me such a proud tía. To my amazing sisters-in-law, Karen, Shannon, Elisa, and Nieves thank you for the long talks, the hugs, and for being an amazing cheering team. To my super fun brothers-in-law, Pat, Jason, and Mike, thank you for the laughs and the hilarious November conversations. To my crazy, energetic nieces and nephews – Ellie, Bardin, Teague, Park, Reese, Carolyn, Pierce, and Jase – it has been amazing to get to know you and see you grow into amazing people. To Tom and Elisa Simmons, there are no words to express how thankful I am to you. You have been like a second set of parents to me. Thank you for the advice, the beautiful crab and turkey dinners, and most importantly for lovingly accepting me into your family. Les debo también un millón de gracias a mis tías y tíos que han ayudado a críarme y que también han ayudado a formarme. Gracias a mi Tía Nelly, Tía Irma, Tío Cirilo, Tía Esther, Tío Roberto, Tía Teresa, Tía Tita, Tía Tame, Tía Lucha, Uncle Mike, Aunt Elaine, Aunt Lisa, and Aunt Kristen. Gracias a mis amigos en Austin, no sé cómo hubiera podido terminar esto sin ustedes. Gracias por las pláticas, las cervezas, las risas, las bailadas y las idas al Hole. Especialmente, muchas gracias a Giulianna Zambrano, Lorna Torrado, Marla Torrado, Stephanie Malak, René Carrasco, Stephanie Romero, Heather Santana, John Santana, César Taboada, Lizette Taboada, Jessica Sánchez, Meg Dowdy, Francis Watlington, Chris McCrank, Adriana Linares, Ángela Tapia, Yoalli Rodríguez, Sarah Harper, Enrique González Conty, Juan Carlos López, Enrique Navarro, Rocío del Águila, Alejandra vi Zambrano y a muchos más han hecho que Austin se haya vuelto un segundo hogar para mi. Muchas gracias. Gracias a mis amigos en el Defectuoso. Gracias por darme posada, sacarme a comer y cenar, por empujarme a terminar, por compartir aventuras en varios rincones de nuestro lindo país, y más que nada por saber cómo sacarme de la estudiada para ir a echar relajo. Gracias a Tania Baram, Yvonne Kneeland, Lucía Gómez, Mariana Gómez, Anne Pfister, Sebastián Rodríguez, Adrián Jinich, José Luis Franco, Diego de la Llata, Mauricio Castillo, Charmaine Weatherbee, Mayra Hernández, Paulina Rojo y un sin número más de amigos que a pesar de la distancia y el tiempo siempre es como si nos hubiéramos visto ayer. También me gustaría reconocer a dos personas que me han acompañado a la distancia en la ardua tarea de escribir la tesis. A Manuel Cuellar y a Adriana P. Limón gracias por las divertidas encontradas en conferencias y las risas por chat. Me han levantado el ánimo cuando más lo necesitaba. Gracias. Gracias a la Ciudad de México, ciudad monstruo que me ha dado y me sigue dando tanto material que indagar. Especialmente gracias a la inspiración que me han dado Jesusa Rodríguez, Tito Vasconcelos, Las reinas chulas, Andrés Carreño, César Enríquez y muchos artistas más que han creado espacios de resistencia y comunidad a través de sus espectáculos. Finalmente, me gustaría agradecer a mi esposo Tom, quien me ha acompañado desde el principio de esta aventura en Austin. Tom, thank you for being sure, even when I wasn’t. Thank you for always believing in me, for being there to wipe the tears away and making me laugh. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and for being in my life. I am so lucky to have you. vii ‘Hazme un Guagüis’: The Politics of Relajo, Humor, Gender and Sexuality in Teatro de Revista, Teatro de Carpa and Cabaret Político in Mexico Sandra Edith Sotelo-Miller, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2016 Supervisor: Héctor Domínguez-Ruvalcaba This dissertation focuses on how teatro de revista, teatro de carpa, and later cabaret político provide an outlet where humor and the politics of class, gender, and sexuality intersect, creating powerful, cultural sites of resistance in past and present day Mexico. More specifically, this study argues that teatro de revista and teatro de carpa, two theater genres developed in the first three decades of the twentieth century in Mexico City, created the foundation and tools for political and social criticism which were later appropriated and redefined by political cabaret theater artists in the 1980s and 1990s. Through close-readings and analysis of various performances and the work of Tito Vasconcelos and Jesusa Rodriguez, this study explores a festive dissidence that emerged in Mexico City where the stage became a space in which collective spheres of irreverence and criticism were and continue to be created. By exploring the performance styles and tools developed in these theatrical genres a window is opened into the critical nature of frivolous theater that has also opened avenues for resistance and defiance through irreverence. In a country where political criticism has often been violently punished, especially during periods of political and viii social crisis, critical sites like those created in teatro de revista, teatro de carpa, and political cabaret theater play a key role in building collective spaces of dissidence. ix Table of Contents List of Illustrations ................................................................................................ xii INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 “Tocar Con el Dedito el Agua Fría:” Art and Resistance in San Cristóbal de las Casas ...................................................................................................... 1 ‘Vamos a Hacer Relajo’: The Dissident Relajientos in Teatro de Revista, Teatro de Carpa, and Cabaret Político ........................................................... 10 Teatro de Revista, Teatro de Carpa, and Cabaret Político: A Brief Genealogy of Comedy in Frivolous Theater in Twentieth-Century Mexico City . 13 Methodology and Theoretical Framework ................................................... 19 Chapters ........................................................................................................ 22 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER 1 ............................................................................................................ 27 Humor and the Sexualization of the Stage in Teatro de Revista and Teatro de Carpa ...................................................................................................................... 27 Introduction .................................................................................................. 27 Establishing Critical Irreverence Through Political Criticism and Black Humor in Mexican Teatro de Revista and Teatro de Carpa ........................... 36 Mexico’s Other Revolution