Francisco Covarrubias (1775 in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

– 1850) was a Cuban

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and a

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

known as "the father of Cuban theatre".Martin Banham, Errol Hill, George William Woodyard ''The Cambridge Guide to African and Caribbean Theatre'' - 1994 Page 159 "The acknowledged father of the Cuban national theatre is Francisco Covarrubias (1775-1850). Impresario, actor and author of more than twenty plays, he was famous for his representations of the 'negrito' (the white actor in black face), ..."
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Felicia Hardison Londré Felicia Hardison Londré (born April 1, 1941) is Curators’ Professor of Theatre at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).Londré, Felicia Mae Hardison." In Marquis ''Who’s Who in America'', 2013. She specializes in 19th and 20th-century ...

, Daniel J. Watermeier ''The History of North American Theater'' 2000 Page 158 "Author of many short populist plays with a distinctly Cuban flavor, the actor Francisco Covarrubias (1775-1850) earned posterity's accolade as the father of Cuban theater." Covarrubias was notable in the history of the

music of Cuba The music of Cuba, including its instruments, performance, and dance, comprises a large set of unique traditions influenced mostly by west African and European (especially Spanish) music. Due to the syncretic nature of most of its genres, Cuban mu ...

through his involvement in the early days of

Cuban musical theatre Cuban musical theatre has its own distinctive style and history. From the 18th century (at least) to modern times, popular theatrical performances included music and often dance as well. Many composers and musicians had their careers launched in the ...

. He has a memorial plaque at the National Theater of Cuba where the second-largest auditorium, the Covarrubias Hall, is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Covarrubias, Francisco Cuban male stage actors Cuban dramatists and playwrights Cuban male dramatists and playwrights 1775 births 1850 deaths Actors from Havana 19th-century Cuban male actors Cuban writers People from Spanish Cuba