Jorge Ibargüengoitia Antillón was a Mexican novelist and playwright who achieved great popular success with his satires, three of which have appeared in English: Las Muertas (The Dead Girls), Dos Crimenes (Two Crimes), and Los Relámpagos de Agosto (The Lightning of August). His plays include Susana y los Jóvenes and Ante varias esfinges, both dating from the 1950s. In 1955, Ibarguengoitia received a Rockefeller grant to study in New York City; five years later he received the Mexico City literary award.
Never before have I seen or read a farce that was a tragedy. Every farce that I can remember is a comedy. This was surprising, singularly effective, and way opened my mind to the potential of such a dissonant presentation. Sometimes you don’t realize you are locked into a way of thinking until someone like Ibarguengoitia comes along and knocks a wall down in your mind. Full of irony and satirical commentary on politics in general, and, in this case, Mexican politics in particular, “El atentado” treats a political assassination and how it might evolve and be handled afterward. This play is totally fathomable. With a handful of cultural adjustments it could easily comment on the current US political climate.
If someone can think of another farce that is also a tragedy, please put it in the comments for me. Maybe I’m not trying hard enough to remember. I didn’t sleep much last night.