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Something About
from 49 ROTECNA WORLD
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Image of a representation of “Els Pastorets”.
Els Pastorets are one of the most genuine exponents of Catalan popular culture. These traditional representations in the towns and cities of Catalonia have exceeded the religious and exhibition scope and have become a sign of identity of the place they represent. In addition, historically, they have been a theatre school where many of the actors and actresses of our country have debuted.
The content of Els Pastorets deals with the birth of the announced messiah according to the Judeo-Christian tradition. Thus, we can find the adventures of some shepherds who receive the news of an angel who says that the messiah has been born. Since the shepherds receive the announcement, they want to go to Bethlehem, and this is where the forces of evil, and the forces of good, begin to intervene to help or prevent the little shepherds from arriving. In this way, the plot is built from three stories: the first, the betrothal of Joseph and Mary, the couple in search of an inn and the birth; the second, the struggle between angels and demons; and the third, focused on the shepherds, humorously.
Origin
The origin of Els Pastorets can be found in the medieval representations that were celebrated inside the churches on Christmas Day. This representation was met with an inevitable decline and decay from the sixteenth century, following the requirements of the Council of Trent, when illustrations of this type were banned in temples, so these representations were moved to the street and later to famous theatres. In the following years, this show grew under the influence of the Spanish Baroque theatre, many of the characters were defined, and the plot base was based on Christmas gospel stories.
To find the first texts of Els Pastorets, we have to place ourselves in the eighteenth century. Although, in Catalan, we already know of a text from the seventeenth century of Rosellonian origin: “Dramatic relationship of the Nativity of the son of God”.
This genre received a boost from the nineteenth century, and new texts of pastorets, always in Spanish, were written. But in 1887, Miquel Saurina made the first modern version in Catalan, and in 1901 Frederic Soler Pitarra elevated the pastorets to the cultured theatre. Many authors have written versions of pastorets. Notable for their popularity are “Estel de Natzaret”, by Ramon Pàmies, from 1903; “Els Pastorets o l’Adveniment de l’Infant Jesús”, by Josep Maria Folch i Torres, 1916; and “La flor de Nadal”, by Francesc d’Assís Picas, from 1954.
The version of Folch i Torres was a success and became the most represented Pastorets text in Catalonia. This text premiered on Christmas eve 1916 in Barcelona. The Board of the Teatro Coliseu Pompeia had commissioned him a few months earlier to renew the Christmas play. He had the help of the set designer Salvador Alarma and the composer Antoni Català for this. The work’s success was decisive for Folch i Torres, who was then 36 years old and considered the creator of the children’s theatrical genre, decided to continue working on theatrical compositions.
The play is based on five acts and starred by Lluquet and Rovelló, two boys from a farmhouse who arrive at Bethlehem for magic reasons. St. Michael helps them prevent Satan and the demons from killing the Child Jesus when they get there. The work takes on a magical and laughing touch thanks to Lluquet’s stubbornness and the fear of poor Rovelló.
Currently, the staging of Pastorets is widespread in the Catalan-speaking territories. Along with Passions of Christ, they are the most deep-rooted traditional representations. Around Christmas, in Catalonia, there are many representations of this play by amateurs groups. They usually belong to entities such as athenaeums, parish centres, etc., which, at the same time, can belong to the Coordinator of Pastorets of Catalonia.
