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Barranca abajo
En Barranca abajo el tema central es la aniquilación de un hombre honrado por culpa de una sociedad egoísta. Sánchez supo superar la visión provinciana de lo gauchesco, expresando magníficamente el conflicto entre autoridad y libertad, bajo una óptica personal y sin prejuicios.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1905
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About the author
Florencio Sánchez
85 books3 followersFlorencio Sánchez was an Uruguayan playwright, journalist and political figure. He is considered one of the founding fathers of theater in the River Plate region of Argentina and Uruguay.
Florencio Sánchez's parents moved him and his eleven siblings to the city of Treinta y Tres and later to Minas, where he attended elementary school. At a very young age, he published a few satirical articles in a newspaper and participated as actor and author in some family musicals (with staged representations).
After abandoning high school, Sánchez alternated his life between Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Rosario. His intense works in journalism and theater unfolded in these cities. In Montevideo he joined the International Center for Social Studies (a literary organization). In Rosario he was a secretary for the writing department of La República ("The Republic"), a publication led by Lisandro de la Torre. His first writings of a social and political nature were published in La República. The critical and scathing realism was apparent in his literary work for the newspaper; this writing style would later characterize his theatrical productions.
Sánchez moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1892, after spending some time in Rosario, a city in Santa Fe, Argentina. He remained there for two years. After his return to Montevideo in 1894, he began working as a journalist for the newspapers El Nacional ("The National"), La Razón ("The Reason"), and El Siglo ("The Century"). He published interviews and wrote political articles in which he incorporated dialogues among the protagonists. In Buenos Aires, he began to make a name for himself as a journalist. He started to participate in intellectual circles and the Buenos Aires night life.
In 1897, when the civil war broke out in Uruguay, he returned to his home country and fought under Aparicio Saravia, thus continuing his family's history of political action. During this phase, he came into contact with intellectuals such as Eduardo Acevedo Díaz. Shortly after his wartime service, his political affiliation with anarchy began. He wrote in La Protesta ("The Protest") and in the magazine El Sol ("The Sun"), the latter being led by Alberto Ghiraldo. Sánchez's plays Ladrones ("Thieves") and Puertas adentro ("Doors Within") were written in the anarchist model.
On August 13, 1903, his first play, M'hijo el dotor ("My son, the doctor"), was performed in the Comedy Theater of Buenos Aires. It was a success, and he followed up with a short but intense period of playwriting, with similar success in both Buenos Aires and Montevideo. These new plays included a farce entitled La gente honesta ("The Honest People") and perhaps his most famous play, Canillita ("The Newspaper Vendor"), both also written in 1903. Canillita has been interpreted by a Spanish operetta company.
With the success of M'hijo el dotor, Sánchez married Catalina Raventos on September 25, 1903, after being in a relationship with her since 1897. His unorganized economic life caused him to sell his plays to several impresarios and theater actors for very little, when he needed money. He frequently accepted advances for plays which he had not yet finished or begun writing, and he sometimes wrote plays hurriedly, giving them away without final revisions.
In 1906, Sánchez settled in La Plata, where he worked for the Office of Anthropometric Identification, which was funded by Juan Vucetich. He contracted tuberculosis, which was spreading rapidly during the late 1880s and early 1900s.
For many years, he had intended to travel to Europe to create a socially and economically successful play. In 1909, he found an opportunity to go and boarded the Italian ship Principe di Udine on September 25, arriving in Genova on October 13. In Italy, he dedicated himself finding a way to connect with the theater companies, for an opportunity to see his plays produced in Spain and France. Upon receiving 3000 francs in 1910 for his play Los muertos
Florencio Sánchez's parents moved him and his eleven siblings to the city of Treinta y Tres and later to Minas, where he attended elementary school. At a very young age, he published a few satirical articles in a newspaper and participated as actor and author in some family musicals (with staged representations).
After abandoning high school, Sánchez alternated his life between Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Rosario. His intense works in journalism and theater unfolded in these cities. In Montevideo he joined the International Center for Social Studies (a literary organization). In Rosario he was a secretary for the writing department of La República ("The Republic"), a publication led by Lisandro de la Torre. His first writings of a social and political nature were published in La República. The critical and scathing realism was apparent in his literary work for the newspaper; this writing style would later characterize his theatrical productions.
Sánchez moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1892, after spending some time in Rosario, a city in Santa Fe, Argentina. He remained there for two years. After his return to Montevideo in 1894, he began working as a journalist for the newspapers El Nacional ("The National"), La Razón ("The Reason"), and El Siglo ("The Century"). He published interviews and wrote political articles in which he incorporated dialogues among the protagonists. In Buenos Aires, he began to make a name for himself as a journalist. He started to participate in intellectual circles and the Buenos Aires night life.
In 1897, when the civil war broke out in Uruguay, he returned to his home country and fought under Aparicio Saravia, thus continuing his family's history of political action. During this phase, he came into contact with intellectuals such as Eduardo Acevedo Díaz. Shortly after his wartime service, his political affiliation with anarchy began. He wrote in La Protesta ("The Protest") and in the magazine El Sol ("The Sun"), the latter being led by Alberto Ghiraldo. Sánchez's plays Ladrones ("Thieves") and Puertas adentro ("Doors Within") were written in the anarchist model.
On August 13, 1903, his first play, M'hijo el dotor ("My son, the doctor"), was performed in the Comedy Theater of Buenos Aires. It was a success, and he followed up with a short but intense period of playwriting, with similar success in both Buenos Aires and Montevideo. These new plays included a farce entitled La gente honesta ("The Honest People") and perhaps his most famous play, Canillita ("The Newspaper Vendor"), both also written in 1903. Canillita has been interpreted by a Spanish operetta company.
With the success of M'hijo el dotor, Sánchez married Catalina Raventos on September 25, 1903, after being in a relationship with her since 1897. His unorganized economic life caused him to sell his plays to several impresarios and theater actors for very little, when he needed money. He frequently accepted advances for plays which he had not yet finished or begun writing, and he sometimes wrote plays hurriedly, giving them away without final revisions.
In 1906, Sánchez settled in La Plata, where he worked for the Office of Anthropometric Identification, which was funded by Juan Vucetich. He contracted tuberculosis, which was spreading rapidly during the late 1880s and early 1900s.
For many years, he had intended to travel to Europe to create a socially and economically successful play. In 1909, he found an opportunity to go and boarded the Italian ship Principe di Udine on September 25, arriving in Genova on October 13. In Italy, he dedicated himself finding a way to connect with the theater companies, for an opportunity to see his plays produced in Spain and France. Upon receiving 3000 francs in 1910 for his play Los muertos
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 4, 2023
Esta tragedia de Florencio Sánchez es un clásico de la literatura dramática rioplatense. Escrita en 1905, expresa muy bien la dura realidad que les tocaba y quizá lamentablemente aún les toca vivir a muchos peones rurales. Víctima del desalojo fraudulento por parte de poderosos latifundistas, se suman a las desgracias del protagonista Don Zoilo la muerte de una de sus hijas a causa de la tuberculosis y un envenenado ambiente familiar cargado de ardides, engaños y murmuraciones por la espalda. El autor hace una interesante crítica social, cuestionando la falta de empatía de todas las personas (sean o no allegadas) frente a aquel que está pasando por dificultades.
El retrato que hace Sánchez del medio rural rioplatense es impecable, y se expresa principalmente a través del lenguaje utilizado por los personajes, la ambientación y las tareas realizadas. Hay que decir que, aunque la obra no pierde fluidez en ningún momento, sí es cierto que la jerga rural, tan presente, dificulta un poco la lectura, sobre todo para el lector desacostumbrado.
Sumado a eso, tengo que reconocer que llevaba mucho tiempo sin leer teatro y por eso tal vez, abordé la lectura un poco receloso de que no me iba a enganchar o me iba a costar adentrarme en ella. Me llevé un buen desengaño, pues las escenas me resultaron atrapantes, me imaginé el escenario y la representación en todo momento y, muy a mi pesar, la lectura se terminó en un suspiro. Desconozco si todas las obras de teatro se leen así de rápido, si por el tipo de literatura que son, necesariamente implican una experiencia lectora corta. Tendré que seguir leyendo dramaturgia para comprobarlo.
El retrato que hace Sánchez del medio rural rioplatense es impecable, y se expresa principalmente a través del lenguaje utilizado por los personajes, la ambientación y las tareas realizadas. Hay que decir que, aunque la obra no pierde fluidez en ningún momento, sí es cierto que la jerga rural, tan presente, dificulta un poco la lectura, sobre todo para el lector desacostumbrado.
Sumado a eso, tengo que reconocer que llevaba mucho tiempo sin leer teatro y por eso tal vez, abordé la lectura un poco receloso de que no me iba a enganchar o me iba a costar adentrarme en ella. Me llevé un buen desengaño, pues las escenas me resultaron atrapantes, me imaginé el escenario y la representación en todo momento y, muy a mi pesar, la lectura se terminó en un suspiro. Desconozco si todas las obras de teatro se leen así de rápido, si por el tipo de literatura que son, necesariamente implican una experiencia lectora corta. Tendré que seguir leyendo dramaturgia para comprobarlo.
January 14, 2026
Sólo Florencio Sánchez podría capturar tan bien la escena gauchense rioplatense; bohemio y fugado de la justicia, bien conocía los enriedos de ambos países limítrofes.
La imagen de cada personaje es clara tanto ayer como hoy, si bien es verdad que tuve que pedirle a mi abuela que me tradujera ciertos refranes, se hace muy fácil y familiar la lectura; aunque la edición aclare que los sucesos se dan en Entre Ríos, realmente podrían ser en cualquier campo del Río de la Plata. Me imaginé todos los lugares, las ropas y expresiones como si de prosa descriptiva se tratara, Florencio solo necesita utilizar un par de frases y ponernos en situación para transportarnos a la finca, a la estancia, al drama y a la tragedia de la vida gaucha.
Gusta mucho el uso de la ironía en los nombres de los personajes, que o aluden a lo contrario de sus características o a las mismas.
Read
October 8, 2025“Las cosas de Dios... ¡Se deshace más fácilmente el nido de un hombre que el nido de un pájaro!”. Qué barbaridad.
December 7, 2025
Una pieza magnífica de teatro criollo, retrata de una manera asombrosa una realidad triste que vivieron y siguen viviendo muchas personas en el campo argentino, que es lo que conozco.
April 25, 2008
Muy bueno.
September 9, 2017
…
¡Te juiste bárranca'baaaajooo! ¡Dame el puñal, no ti'hagás un tajo! (?
¡Te juiste bárranca'baaaajooo! ¡Dame el puñal, no ti'hagás un tajo! (?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews