El gesticulador (Colección Popular)

by Rodolfo Usigli

La acción de El gesticulador se sitúa en los años treinta del siglo XX. La Gran Depresión aflige al mundo, la segunda Guerra Mundial se perfila y, en México —ésta es la trama de la obra—, el general César Rubio, uno de los caudillos idealistas de la Revolución al que se creía muerto, es descubierto vivo en un oscuro pueblo del norte del país. El hecho causa para muchos, Rubio puede ser la brújula que el país necesita para no desviar su ruta; para otros representará un obstáculo, e incluso hay quienes lo consideran un impostor. Rodolfo Usigli resuelve con mano maestra esta fascinante intriga. Publicada en 1944 y llevada a escena en el Palacio de Bellas Artes en 1947, El gesticulador fue retirada de los teatros a las pocas semanas a causa de su acerba crítica al sistema político mexicano.

Genres: Spanish Literature, Drama, Plays, College, Theatre, Fiction, Classics

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 1947

About the author

Poeta, dramaturgo, escritor y diplomático mexicano. Es considerado el padre del teatro mexicano moderno.

Hijo de padre italiano nacido en Alejandría y madre austrohúngara. Entre sus obras teatrales destacan El Gesticulador escrita en 1938, en la cual hace una concienzuda crítica al régimen revolucionario mexicano de ese tiempo, debido a la cual fue censurada por el gobierno. Así como los dramas Corona de Sombra escrita en 1943, en que destaca la figura de Carlota de Bélgica, esposa de Maximiliano de Habsburgo, Emperador de México, obra a la que el propio Usigli calificó de antihistórica; Corona de Fuego, en 1960 y Corona de Luz en 1964, esta última, versa sobre la virgen de Guadalupe y su influencia en la cultura nacional mexicana. Rodolfo Usigli fue un escritor tetra genérico, es considerado el fundador del Teatro Mexicano y uno de os creadores literarios de la conciencia identitaria del mexicano. Como dramaturgo trascendió tanto en su país como en otros países hispanoamericanos: El gesticulador es una de las primeras tragedias hispanoamericanas. Su obra dramática ha obnubilado su producción narrativa y ensayística. Ensayo de un crimen, es la primera novela urbana de la ciudad de México. Como ensayista presentó sus ideas con vocación de estilo; estos textos guardan correspondencia con las ideas reveladas en su dramaturgia: La anti-historia, el perfil del mexicano y su omnipresente hipocresía y textos múltiples sobre la historia del teatro en México. Fue el primer dramaturgo hispanoamericano que escribió un tratado sobre dramaturgia: Itinerario del autor dramático. No perteneció a los Contemporáneos, pero la calidad de su poesía es comparable a la escrita por este afamado grupo; lo que es debido primordialmente a lo personalísimo de su voz poética, especialmente cuando celebra la senectud. Fue uno de los mexicanos con mayor sentido de universalidad. Fue un escritor indagador de la verdad. Un ciudadano del Teatro. En cuanto a sus obras poéticas sobresale Conversación desesperada. Estuvo en contacto con grandes figuras literarias de su tiempo, como José Vasconcelos y Alfonso Reyes. Fungió como Embajador de México en Líbano de 1956 a 1963 y de México en Noruega de 1963 a 1970. Asimismo, por un par de años a principios de la década de los cuarenta estuvo encargado de los Asuntos Culturales en la Embajada de México en París. En 1972, Usigli recibió el Premio Nacional de Letras.

Reviews

[Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Todo el mundo aquí vive de apariencias, de gestos. Yo he dicho que soy el otro César Rubio… ¿a quién perjudica eso? Mira a los que llevan águila de general sin haber peleado en una batalla; a los que se dicen amigos del pueblo y lo roban; a los demagogos que agitan a los obreros y los llaman camaradas sin haber trabajado en su vida con sus manos; a los profesores que no saben enseñar, a los estudiantes que no estudian. Mira a Navarro, el precandidato… yo sé que no es más un bandido, y de eso sí tengo pruebas, y lo tienen por un héroe, un gran hombre nacional. Y ellos sí hacen daño y viven de su mentira. Yo soy major que muchos de ellos. ¿Por qué no…?" (p. 54)

“El político es el eje de la rueda; cuando se rompe o se corrompe, la rueda, que es el pueblo, se hace pedazos; él separa todo lo que no serviría junto, liga todo lo que no podría existir separado. Al principio, este movimiento del pueblo que gira en torno a uno produce una sensación de vacío y de muerte; después descubre uno su función en ese movimiento, el ritmo de la rueda que no serviría sin eje, sin uno. Y se siente la única paz del poder, que es moverse y hacer mover a los demás a tiempo con el tiempo. Y por eso ocurre que el político puede ser, es, en México, el mayor creador o el destructor más grande. ¿Es parecido a mí este retrato? (p. 81)

[John Dishwasher John Dishwasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This play is quite a condemnation. Usigli portrays all of Mexican society, from the daily life of the family to the public life of politicians, as being based on lies, deception and pretense. Poor people trying to look rich. Thieves trying to look noble. And everyone understanding that everyone is lying, but going along with the sham because that’s just how things work. In order to make any headway, in order to find any self fulfillment, Usigli shows, one has to lie and pretend and connive. His decent male lead only has the opportunity to make a difference in this corrupt environment because of vast convolutions of perception, which reaffirms that only by bizarre means can a person of decency influence such a corrupt society. Usually I would read a treatment like this as a condemnation of society in general, but Usigli’s complaint really felt like it came out of frustration and disgust with the 1930s Mexico he was living in. And after drafting this review I skimmed his essays that followed the play to see this was true. He pulled no punches. There is a young character who refuses to play along. So perhaps in that he provided hope for change.

I really thought the play was quite bad. The scenes feel contrived and pedestrian and he advances the plot with sudden and urgent bouts of melodrama. I might attribute my inability to get the popularity it enjoyed in its day to the differences in taste nearly a century can make. But this play is still produced. I noticed a recent production on YouTube by a Mexican university. This may be one of those cultural things where I just can’t connect with my beloved Mexican friends. Perhaps Usigli is saying something very unequivocal and scathing that is not said elsewhere, providing a catharsis that is not found otherwise. From that might come the play’s enduring appeal. I will watch one of the productions and see if it sways my understanding and opinion.

The plot is basically that a historian who knows the Mexican revolution well also happens to share the same name and surname as a dead revolutionary hero. After some confusion he is mistaken for the reappearance of the dead man and becomes instantly a political figure. He is a great talent, a natural leader, and has charisma and good ideas and intentions. [The play is better on stage than in print. Reading it you know from the outset the punchline to the mistaken identity because of the way characters are named in the pages of the drama. On stage this connection is hidden. This improves the play's effect, making it seem less contrived].

[inmabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lectura obligatoria de la carrera.
De mis favoritas de la literatura hispanoamericana :)

[nallelizette · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐

"NAVARRO.— ¡𝑇𝑒𝑛 𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑑𝑜!

CÉSAR. — ¿𝐷𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑒́? 𝑃𝑢𝑒𝑑𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑦𝑜 𝑛𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑎 𝑒𝑙 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛 𝐶𝑒́𝑠𝑎𝑟 𝑅𝑢𝑏𝑖𝑜, 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑜 ¿𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒́𝑛 𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑢́? ¿𝑄𝑢𝑖𝑒́𝑛 𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑎 𝑢𝑛𝑜 𝑒𝑛 𝑀𝑒́𝑥𝑖𝑐𝑜? 𝐷𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒𝑟𝑎 𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠, 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠, 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠; 𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑒 ℎ𝑒́𝑟𝑜𝑒𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑙𝑖́𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠, 𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠, 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑠, 𝑐𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑜́𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑠, 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠, 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑠. ¿𝑄𝑢𝑖𝑒́𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑐𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑠? 𝑇𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑜𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑝𝑜́𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑠.

NAVARRO. — 𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑛𝑜 ℎ𝑎 𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑑𝑜, 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑜 𝑡𝑢́, 𝑙𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑑 𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜.

CÉSAR. — ¿𝑁𝑜? 𝑇𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑢𝑦𝑎𝑠; 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑜 𝑙𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑒 𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑙 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑟𝑜: 𝑐𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛̃𝑎𝑐 𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑑𝑎; 𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑎́𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑠 𝑜 𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑦𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑠: 𝑢𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑟𝑎 𝑦 𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜. 𝐸𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑎 𝑑𝑒𝑙 𝑝𝑎𝑖́𝑠. 𝐸𝑠𝑡𝑎́ 𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑎 𝑙𝑎 ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑎, 𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑢́ 𝑛𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠. 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑜 𝑡𝑢́, 𝑚𝑖́𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝑢́. 𝐻𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑜 𝑑𝑒 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑎 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑜 𝑎 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑎 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑚𝑎 𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑜́𝑛. 𝐿𝑜𝑠 𝑚𝑎́𝑠 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑑𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑖́𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠, 𝑑𝑒 𝑡𝑢 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑠, 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑜 𝑢𝑛 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑟𝑜. 𝐸𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑧 𝑑𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑙 𝑝𝑖𝑒, 𝑡𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑎𝑑𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑖́𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑜𝑠 𝑦 𝑒𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑗𝑒𝑧𝑎𝑠".

[Abby Hinrichs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rodolfo Usigli’s El gesticulador is a relatively simple play that touches on some more complicated issues of identity crisis, heroism and corruption as a result of the Mexican Revolution. César Rubio is a college professor, specializing in the history of the Mexican Revolution, that moves with his family to the town where he was born. At the beginning there is some tension among the members of his family as to why they had to move and their desire to go back to living the way they were before. A Harvard professor comes to their new house asking for a place to stay which eventually leads to him believing that this César Rubio is THE César Rubio, a revolutionary war hero. Rubio becomes consumed by this lie, against the will of his family, and it eventually leads to his death. Usigli uses Rubio to comment on the false idea of heroism that the people of Mexico had during this era. Following the Mexican Revolution, the people had hoped to have solidified their national and individual identities, but this book shows how everyone was still searching for their own identity through the revolution. They also were looking for heroes in the wrong places, putting their faith and trust in the corruption politicians of the time. Usigli also hints at political corruption and the perils of becoming involved in this system. I really enjoyed reading this play, which was surprising because I typically do not enjoy reading plays. Although the ending is kind of predictable, it was a fun play to read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading a Spanish play, as it was not very difficult to understand and moved along quickly!

[Clara McCollam · Rating 3 out of 5]

El Gesticulador is a very interesting read in the ways it connects to the time period during the Mexican Revolution. While I was reading this novel I spent a lot of time thinking about how it could represent the time period (for example, who César Rubio represents, if anyone in specific, during the revolution, how the role of women is reflected throughout the play, etc.), and I came to the conclusion that the book was a metaphor for the corruption and manipulation of the Mexican government during the time. I read online that the play was highly censored by the Mexican government so I think its interesting for us to read today and discuss why there was such high censorship on the work. Overall, I didn’t love the work (it’s not my favorite genre), but I can appreciate it for its artistic symbolism and deeper meaning in the grand scheme of the Revolutionary works.

[Mason MB · Rating 4 out of 5]

anytime anyone writes a play it’s like oh look at me i wrote a play

[Carissa Margraf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prof Barnett//Washington and Lee University

Personally, plays are definitely not my go-to form of literature at all. That being said, "El Gesticulador" wasn't as painful to read as I was anticipating, so that was a pleasant surprise. The plot/action was nicely paced to keep my attention and it was entertaining without being extremely complicated to follow. I really love the contrast Usigli makes between Cesar's life before the story is published versus the life of a war hero in the public eye after. It places an emphasis on the way that the Mexican people would elevate the status of war heroes and politicians after the Revolution in order to have something else to believe in after the armed conflicts ceased. However, the corruption of Navarro shows the evident pitfalls of war heroes turned politicians that have too much power. The characterization of Navarro demonstrates the possibility for a new wave of dictators after the Revolution. I also found the different reactions to the lie of those close to Cesar to be an interesting means of characterization. The negative reaction towards his father of Miguel could be interpreted as a change in the mindsets of younger generations. His intolerance of his father's charade shows how the youths have a lower tolerance and acceptance for corruption after the Revolution and growing up in the end/ aftermath of armed conflict. Overall this play was a good method to show the ways in which the Revolution affected societal outlooks and politics following the conflicts.

[Edwin Castellanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prof. Barnett / Washington and Lee University

El Gesticulador by Rodolfo Usigli was a very fast paced and easy to understand play that drew on the topics of identity, gender relations, appearance, government corruption, and family. I don't usually find myself liking plays, but this wasn't the case when reading El Gesticulador. Usigli tells the story of a college professor César Rubio who moves to his hometown in the north of México. He happens to share the same name as a hero during the revolutionary war. This causes a Harvard professor to mistaken him for the hero and lead Cesar to identify as the hero and not the college professor that he truly is. His son questions his motives by asking if he's really better than the corrupt politicians when he's lying to fulfill his personal goals of reinstating the revolutionary fight. Usigli shows how people struggled to keep a certain image as he criticized the political leaders in society along with ordinary people. This explains a lot of the controversy that existed when the play was published. Usigli does a good job on showing how the leaders in society are not to be trusted since they're not who they claim to be. This uplifts the idea that the people should seek the truth and be careful to establish a sense of heroism in political leaders. Without this, the Mexican revolution would continue endlessly under the realm of politicians. I recommend this play to anyone who enjoys plays and the topics of false identities and political corruption within the Mexican revolution.

[McKinley Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professor Barnett/Washington and Lee University:

El gesticulador by Rodolfo Usigli proved to be a very intriguing play that further exposed me to the intricacies of the Mexican Revolution. This play allowed me to understand the revolution from the perspective of a family, especially the father César Rubio, a disenchanted professor who took advantage of a revolutionary’s identity. I believe overall that Usigli is making a commentary on the superficial nature of the idea of heroism through both Rubio and Navarro. Not only does Rubio impersonate a deceased revolutionary, but Navarro shields some aspects of truth to present himself as a better candidate. Their final conversation shined light on the falsehood of heroism and how the perception of the people is what creates your identity, not yourself. I really enjoyed this play because it kept me interested until the very end with the suspenseful plot and the character development. Overall, I believe that this play not only contains insightful commentary on the Mexican Revolution, but also proves itself applicable in today’s world.

[Alexa Caffio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prof. Barnett / Washington and Lee University

What is a hero? In El gesticulador by Rodolfo Usigli, César Rubio becomes a nationally recognized "hero" after a small lie meant to save his family gets out of hand. Rubio, a history professor specializing in the recent violent era of the Mexican Revolution (the play was written in 1938), must assimilate into political culture after being found and mistaken for one of the war's presumably fallen hero. Several characters seek to revitalize the ideals and the dreams sought since the beginning of the revolution, but ironically enough, the new public figure encapsulating these ideals is not real. Grounded in a family-based plotline, this work goes beyond a microcosmic view of one poor family and exposes the inner workings of the PRI (partido revolucionario institucional). Other themes relating to the revolution and the surrounding time periods include maintaining appearances and political corruption. Personally, I truly enjoyed the main character and was seriously disappointed by the ending.

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

ESPAÑOL: Esta es la primera vez que veo esta obra, en el archivo de Estudio-1. Un pobre profesor de historia mexicana abandona sus clases en Ciudad de México y se retira a un pueblo. Casualmente llega a su casa un profesor de historia mexicana de la universidad de Harvard, que viene tras la pista de cierto general César Rubio que desempeñó un papel en la Revolución mexicana y que desapareció muchos años atrás. Su anfitrión, que sabe mucho sobre el general, asume su identidad, con consecuencias trágicas.

ENGLISH: This is the first time I've watched this play, in the RTVE Estudio-1 archive. A poor professor of Mexican history abandons his classes in Mexico City and retires to a village. Coincidentally, a professor of Mexican history from Harvard University arrives to his home, who is on the trail of a certain general César Rubio who played a role in the Mexican Revolution and disappeared many years ago. His host, who knows a lot about the general, assumes his identity with tragical consequences.

[Bryn McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

El gesticulador by Rodolfo Usigli tells the story of César Rubio, and how he attempts to elevate his societal status by pretending to be a fallen war hero of the Mexican Revolution who is also named César Rubio. Throughout the play we watch as Rubio tries to immerse himself in this new identity, even though he’s living a lie. He goes so far as to involve himself in politics to try and reduce corruption and bring to light revolutionary ideals, which highlights the play’s irony because he himself epitomizes corruption by impersonating someone else for his own gain. But, Rubio’s actions have consequences that not only distance him from his family but, ultimately, result in his death. I enjoyed reading this play because it was dramatic and kept the viewer wanting to see what would happen next, but in the end it left me feeling disillusioned.

[Vero Agui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunque la obra empieza situada en la “época actual”, siendo que se escribió en los 40s, haciendo referencia a la época de la revolución, hay algo en su forma de estar de estar escrita que la convierte realmente “actual” y hasta contemporánea. Picaresca, inocente, y en un tono nacional que nos recuerda que en 100 años NADA ha cambiado en nuestro país. Salpicada con descripciones brillantes como: “JULIA, muchacha alta, de silueta agradable, aunque su rostro carece de atractivo” o “Tiene la piel manchada por esas confusas manifestaciones cutáneas que atestiguan a la vez el exceso sexual y el exceso de abstención sexual. Los otros son norteños típicos, delgados SALINAS y TREVIÑO, gordos GARZA y GUZMÁN. Todos sanos, buenos bebedores de cerveza, campechanos, claros y decididos” logran que esta obra sea un retrato vívido y carismático de la Revolución Mexicana.

[Manuel Correa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tan precisa que los diálogos parecen haber sido escritos para cada período presidencial de México hasta hoy... Asimismo, el carácter de un personaje —más que el enmascaramiento— pusilánime como C. R., cuya mentira como esperanza y sentido de una verdad posible que muere en aras de otra mentira, es inagotable y, paradójicamente, insobornable... Fiel al otro simulado que le permite ser, finamente, él mismo, hasta nunca...

[Nayely Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Me encantaría verla representada.
O adaptada al cine.

[Silvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
La historia es buena y atrayente, pero siento que al final le falto algo…

[Isabella Castillo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lo leí para mi clase de español y aunque no me disgustó por completo, el final fue muy predecible y no conecté con ningún personaje.

[Osheen Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Professor Cesar Rubio was indeed disenchanted by the world of the university where every single person was ignorant of his knowledge about the revolution and also because the university has become a place where no one ever wanted to teach or learn. When his son Miguel and daughter Julia are disappointed in their father for moving to a different location, Cesar tells them the reason why he shifted to the town of Allende located in the north of the country. As he was disinterested in the world of University, he is seeking to secure a good position among the candidates for upcoming elections, to persuade them to create a new state university.

At this stage, he hasn’t planned to indulge in politics directly. But when an American researcher of the Mexican Revolution arrives at his home to seek asylum because of an accident, Professor’s life takes a drastic turn. When the American Researcher, Prof Bolton tells Cesar about his intentions of looking into details of the great General Cesar Rubio, one of the most distinguished generals in the Mexican Revolution.

Over the night, Cesar engages Prof Bolton into the mystery of General Rubio’s life and the story around his death in an exchange of 24,000 American Dollars. Towards the end, he discloses that the General didn’t die of his wounds, instead, he lived, and disappeared and abandoned revolutionary movement altogether and is alive. He somehow puts words into Bolton’s mouth that he if General Cesar Rubio who went years ago.

As the play unfolds where Bolton publishes this information in the papers against the wishes of Cesar and the people Allende, Epigmenio Guzmán the Municipal President and Salinas, Garza and Treviño, the Local deputies come to confirm this information to which again Cesar doesn’t exactly say the words that he is General Cesar Rubio and yet somehow proves them about the same.

The municipal president and deputies in the name of the town and the president ask for it as a candidate for governor. Elena, Caesar's wife, tries in vain to convince her husband not to accept and go away knowing the danger that Cesar runs to sustain such a lie that will eventually lead him to death, although he has already become a hero. Cesar is determined to get into politics. He does this to bring about change and for the good of the people. He believes that he is doing less harm is living the life of a dead man than the other politicians like Navarro who are in politics for their gain rather than for the benefit of the people.

He calls the other ministers demagogues who agitate the people they claim to represent and profit from their lives. Usigli does an excellent job of showing how the leaders in society are not trusted since they are not they claim to be. This uplifts the idea that the people should seek the truth and be careful to establish a sense of heroism in political leaders.

[Jay Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

El Gesticulador is a fast paced play that contains many themes such as heroism and aspects of the Mexican Revolution that is portrayed through a flawed man who seeks to live a life under the guise of a dead general. I think that this aspect of the play made the plot very interesting because Cesar, the protagonist, manages to convince people that he was a general during the war in Mexico, even though the person who he is claiming to be is deceased. Additionally, I think his justifications of his actions, such as moving to other municipalities, to his loved ones gave a lot of depth to the story. It is even more intriguing that Navarro, the enemy of the deceased general, is after Cesar. I like how the common man and woman is depicted in the narrative, especially when Cesar specifically states his undying fidelity to them, despite being a false hero. Overall, the play is intriguing and delivers valuable insight into the Mexican society during such times.

[Mary Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the actual language is relatively easy to understand and the themes of appearances and self-identification are overtly emphasized, I consider this play to be a wonderful insight into the mind of artists during the early to mid twentieth century. To begin, we find the protagonist, César Rubio, struggling to justify his actions, specifically the moving into the country, and beliefs during the revolution to his wife and children. Already Usigli introduces themes of doubt, family dispute and tension, and appearances, which is first mentioned by Miguel, Rubio's son, on the fourth page. Some readers may criticize the quick development, overuse, and frequent mentioning or insinuation of the theme, but I believe this writing style to be a result of the authors' during this time, 1920s, own identity crisis. Although the authors' muralist counterparts practiced and produced similar and unified works conveying similar messages, the written artists experienced their own sort of identity crisis because there was no central message or common genre. This work therefore expresses those feelings in the form of a theatrical play lead by Rubio. In summary, this story highlights the desperate and extensive efforts of one man, in the wake of the Mexican Revolution, attempting to elevate his status through a lie, to reinstate some of the goals of the revolutionaries as he runs for governor (equality), and as a result, is not fully supported by his family and in the end, is assassinated. Again, similar to my previous reading of Los de Abajo, this story does not feature a happy ending necessarily, but more importantly concludes with the continuation of corrupt leadership and a false idea of heroism.

[Aldo · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Qué poder tienen las palabras para construir nuestra realidad? ¿Por qué contamos con una sed de verdad? ¿Cuál es el papel del político en el México posrevolucionario? La obra teatral de Usigli sigue la trayectoria de César Rubio y su familia, quienes después de marcharse de la capital deberán asumir una nueva identidad en el seno de la familia, donde los intereses políticos no tardarán en desatar una tragedia. El gesticulador es una buena obra, bien pensada, pero la sentí muy simple, como que le faltó algo. Sin embargo, no se pierde nada en leerla, aprendiendo un poco más de México.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

fine I guess

[Carmen Míguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesante pero poco innovadora, es más relevante por su contexto que por su contenido.

[Rebeca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terminó muy abruptamente, pero tiene buena historia.

[dulce bautista salas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leído por supuesto que para mi clase de Teatro Mexicano.
Los temas principales y secundarios de la obra son la identidad nacional y personal, el valor de la verdad y el apoderamiento de la mentira en los espacios cotidianos. Quiero compartir que me quedé con varias cosas del texto, las agallas de Usigli para denunciar y criticar la corrupción que siempre ha estado presente en el país, las desigualdades a la hora de las oportunidades que tenemos todos, lo mucho que influye nuestro contexto en las decisiones que tomamos y a lo que puede orillar la desesperación. “El poder mata siempre el valor personal del hombre. O se es hombre, o se tiene poder” mencionó Usigli en la obra a través del personaje de César, quién para cuando lo dice ya está pérdido en el personaje que él mismo creó, no queriendo admitir ni de cerca, que el poder ya lo estaba consumiendo, cada parte de lo que quedaba, de su ropa antes remangada y reconstruida por su esposa, ocultándose de sus propios temores, de sus propias verdades, como una máscara cuyo rostro “se muestra al exterior, de acuerdo con las circunstancias y las necesidades, conforma un instrumento para transformar, o bien para perpetuar, los hechos que van dando forma a nuestra historia.” (Pérez García, 2010).

[Miller Townes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the descriptive quality provided of the characters en El gesticulator. Sometimes I think when reading plays it can be difficult to envision the characters as the work is majority dialogue. I think Usigli is very effective with his use of stage directions and character descriptions. Also, I really enjoyed the family aspect of the play and how different members of the family function as different mechanisms to either support or oppose César in what he is trying to accomplish by living a lie. I think that the novel presents an interesting moral debate on whether an action is acceptable if it is the lesser of two evils. Navarro is obviously a much worse man that César but they are both mistreating the political system. Is it okay for César to run as another man for the good of the people or is what he is doing just as bad as Navarro's actions because it is a lie?

[Eridani Jara R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fue una obra que estuvo bien, no me sorprendió ni me desagradó, simplemente fue una lectura agradable por un momento, pero definitivamente no causó nada en mí.
Los personajes me parecieron muy egoístas y egocéntricos, y eso está bien pero no había algo más, era tan solo una familia con problemas internos y problemas políticos externos, era un padre de familia que intentaba salir adelante y cumplir sus sueños sin pensar en las posibles consecuencias negativas, una esposa que intentaba encontrar el balance de las cosas y unos hijos perturbados por la cruda realidad. Y si bien es cierto, que en algunos momentos puede dejar mensajes muy reflexivos que calan bastante, faltó algo, entrega una sensación de vacío.

[Eduardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eduardo Corona/ SPAN 344
El Gesticulador was a fantastic read because of the fresh approach it took to telling a story about the Mexican Revolution. By writing a play about a tale concerning post-revolutionary times in Mexico, Usigli provided a new approach of recounting history. While I was reading the play, I repeatedly thought about the effect that this had on the Mexican people since unlike previous books about the revolution, every Mexican could enjoy this story by not only reading the script, but also watching live performances. I also thought the story line was fascinating and thought the character development of Cesar was very complete and interesting.

[Ali's Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

El gesticulador me gustó muchísimo. Lo leí para la facultad para la materia panorama del teatro latinoamericano. También leí "las ranas" y "los caballos" de Mauricio Rosencof (obras que no encontré en goodreads) pero entre las tres suman esta misma cantidad de páginas... De ambas la que más me gustó fue esta, el gesticulador porque fue la que más pude comparar con el presente a pesar de ser de la época revolucionaria de México. Las otras dos obras, me gustaron por lo que significaban pero no pude apropiarmelas.