From the Centre to the Perisphere. The Boom of the Buenos Aires Commercial Theatre and its Repercussion in the City of Zárate (1918-1930)

Abstract

In this article we enunciate the characteristics of the commercial theatre in Buenos Aires from 1918 to 1930 and how this massive cultural phenomenon spread through other regions of the country, specially the cities of the Paraná basin where the economic growth came came hand in hand with the agricultural industry and the flow of merchandise through the waterways. The development of the theatre movement in this region was specially relevant in the city of Zárate. 92 kilometers away from the Capital, Zárate stablished itself as an economic, social and cultural active city. While theatre in Buenos aires was mainly a result of the vibrant cultural massiveness of the big city, in Zárate the development came decades after and mainly for its functionality as well as its simbolic expression and cultural aspiration. Another important aspect that was different in the development between theatres in Buenos Aires and Zárate was the fact that, while in Zárate the iniciative to build the theatres came from immigrants associations, in Buenos Aires were mainly property of private capitals.