Basque Pastoral Theater and Pedro Ignacio Barrutia

Traditional Basque Pastoral Folk Theater

Pastoral folk theater is one of the most famous manifestations of Basque culture (ezagunenak). It has medieval origins, emerging during the period when European theater was expanding and was closely linked to religious themes (zerikusia). Today, Zuberoa remains the heart of this vibrant (kementsua) tradition, where festive open-air performances are broadcast in the town squares.

The ordinary people serve as dancers and musicians; the performance is never without these essential players (jokalari-eman). In these productions, everything is sung (kantuan guztia). A performance is a significant event that lasts three or four hours, often taking up a full day for the community. Historically, these plays have been a staple of Basque life through the 20th century (XX. mendeko urteotan).

Structure of the Pastoral

Each pastoral performance consists of the following parts:

• 1. Desfilea: The parade.
• 2. Home-Foreword: Including a welcome, a content summary, and a declaration of how the show will occur (adierazpena).
• 3. Antzezpena: The main performance.
• 4. Tale-Desire-Epilogue: Addressing faults, a message asking for forgiveness, and the final farewell (agurra).

Until the end of the 20th century, pastoral themes typically addressed the Old Testament, the New Testament, the lives of Saints (Santuen bizitzak), gestures, songs (kantak), adventures, novels, and legends.

Evolution of the Southern Basque Theater

Until the late nineteenth century, there was no strong theater movement in the South (Hegoaldean). While the North had a thriving popular theater, the South's development was considered late. The Old Theater of the South is characterized by several factors:

• Theater works are usually known by specific details of when and by whom they were written.
• Authors are usually experts in their field.
• The structure is influenced by the theatrical works of other peoples.
• Performances are designed to be held in dedicated rooms or indoor theaters.

Pedro Ignacio Barrutia and the Christmas Show

Pedro Ignacio Barrutia (1682-1759) was born in Aramaio (Araba) and lived close to Arrasate-Mondragón. During his life, he worked as a scribe (izkribau) and wrote the notable play "Gabon-Saria" (The Christmas Show). His work is considered close to Castilian Baroque theater.

Originality and Style of Barrutia

Barrutia used the units of time, action, and place in a very special way, operating without the rigid rules of the era (gabe). The action shifts between the men of Mondragón and Bethlehem in Judea. The characters are a mix of local Arrasatear people, angels, the Virgin Mary (Birjinia), and Saint Joseph (San Josef).

This duality (bikoiztasun) provides the work with its unique size, quality, and originality. The objectives of these works were twofold: teaching and comedy (komikoa). Through the "Grazioso" character, the play explores the matter of Christian salvation.

Thematic Structure of Gabon-Saria

The work is distinguished by three single events:

1. The initial approach is indicated.
2. A reflection on sins and sinners (bekatariez).
3. The conversion of the sinner (bekatariaren konbertitzea).

The work is written in Bizkaieraz, specifically the Basque dialect of Mondragón.