El tercer Fausto
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| El tercer Fausto | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Le troisième Faust, Tragédie breve |
| Written by | Salvador Novo |
| Based on | Faust |
| Characters | Alberto, Armando, El diablo |
| Date premiered | 1971 |
| Original language | French |
| Subject | Homosexuality |
| Genre | Drama |
El tercer Fausto (originally published in French as Le troisième Faust, Tragédie breve), is a play by Mexican writer Salvador Novo, initially published in 1934.[1][2] It is considered one of the author's most important theatrical works.[3][4] The plot, which references the classic German drama Faust (1808) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,[5] follows the story of a man who decides to sell his soul to the devil to change his sex so he can seduce and win the love of another man.[1][6][7]
The play was originally written in French in 1932, and published two years later.[2][8] At the time of its publication, Novo believed that a play about homosexuality could be controversial, but the piece actually earned international recognition.[9] The Spanish version was not published in Mexico until 1956,[1] when the Fondo de Cultura Económica included it as a part of the compilation Diálogos.[8]
- Alberto: The play's protagonist. He is in love with his friend Armando and, in an effort to win him over, he decides to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for being transformed into a woman. During the second act, he appears in the body of an anonymous woman and tries to seduce his friend.[10][11]
- Armando: Alberto's friend and the object of his affections. Although Alberto does not know it, Armando is also in love with him.[12]
- El diablo (the devil): During his conversation with Alberto, the devil suggests various alternative ways to win over Armando and attempts to avoid transforming him into a woman. He ultimately agrees to the deal, but refuses to accept Alberto's soul and instead only asks to secretly witness the results.[10]
Publication and performances
Novo's main motivation for publishing the work in French and in Paris was the fear that it would be censored in Mexico because of the era's machismo culture. This worry was not unsubstantiated; various political figures in Mexico, including Pedro Henríquez Ureña and Lázaro Cárdenas, reacted negatively to his previous works, with Henríquez Ureña even refusing to hire Novo. Because of this, the first edition of the play was published in French as a luxury edition of 50 numbered copies that were not sold openly. In November 1955, Novo described his decision to publish the play in France as "juvenile pedantry".[13]
It was several decades before the play was performed publicly. In 1955, Novo planned to show it in Mexico City along with five of his other short pieces in the La Capilla theater, which Novo had founded two years prior. However, despite the fact that the performance had been announced in the printed program, the play was cancelled due to the fear of a possible negative reaction over its subject matter. In fact, that same year, a play about lesbians titled Conflicto put on at La Capilla had provoked a hostile response, which lead to its cancellation and attempts to close the theater.[14] The next year, El tercer Fausto was published in Spanish for the first time.[15]
The first-known public performance of the play came finally in 1971, after the actress Marilú Elígaza proposed that Novo put on some of his plays in the Xola theater. However, this was only a reading of the play, not a full production.