An 8 page research paper research paper plus a two page outline that discusses the "Open Theater" movement that occurred in Argentina from 1981-1985, in which courageous playwrights and artists produced plays that dramatized and protested the repressive military junta that controlled Argentina at that time. The writer focuses on the work of Carlos Samigliana and his play "Oficial Primero," but other plays are discussed as well, to demonstrate the overall thrust of the movement. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
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and activities. This was the beginning of a long series of political upheavals and military dictatorships that would plague Argentina into the 1980s. Oppression became particularly severe in the late
1970s after the military destroyed many institutions created by the government of Juan Peron and embarked on a "dirty war" to eliminate all political opposition (Graham-Jones 15). The Grupos de
Tarea (task forces) of the government could appear in the middle of the night and abduct citizens. Approximately 30,000 people were taken in this manner to clandestine torture camps and
few were ever seen again (Graham-Jones 15). From the beginning, resistance to the military junta was evident, and one way that this resistance was manifested was through the Argentine theater.
Thesis statement and background on Argentine Theater An examination of productions while Argentina suffered under the rule of a military dictatorship demonstrates the various ways in which Argentine
playwrights, such as Carlos Somigliana, expressed their protest against oppression. However, before going into detail on the plays that protested human rights violations in Argentina, it is helpful to see
this theatrical movement in perspective against the rich theatrical tradition in this country, and also against the threat of censorship. Buenos Aires has a long and varied tradition of
theater (Graham-Jones 7). Theater listings in the daily newspapers typically advertise fifty or sixty plays being staged at any given moment during the theater season (Graham-Jones 7). While it is
true that the government censored and controlled the main theaters, the theater life of Buenos Aires is so large and varied that it was virtually impossible for all plays to
be censored. Frequently, plays and performers were left alone, but only if the play was produced and performed in a non-mainstream theater or cabaret space (Graham-Jones 18). Following in
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