La Carreta

Not to be confused with La Carreta Mexican Restaurant.
La Carreta
Written byRené Marqués
Date premieredMay 7, 1953
Place premieredSan Sebastian Auditorium[1]
Original languageSpanish
SettingSan Juan; The Bronx

La Carreta (English: The Oxcart) is a 1953 play by Puerto Rican playwright René Marqués.[2] The story follows a family of "jíbaros", or rural peasants, who in an effort to find better opportunities end up moving to the United States (see Puerto Rican migration to New York).[3]

The story is divided in three acts, each focusing on a specific location. The first act begins with the family preparing to move from the countryside to San Juan, capital of Puerto Rico, in search of a "better life". The second act takes place a year later in San Juan, specifically in La Perla slum, where the family has moved. The final act takes place yet another year apart, in The Bronx, New York, where the family has ended, looking for a better life.

A 2009 production of the play in Puerto Rico starred Johanna Rosaly in the role of Gabriela. It was performed in March in Caguas and Santurce in Puerto Rico and then in September and October in Mayaguez and Santurce. The show was produced by New Moon Productions and directed by Pablo Cabrera.

  1. ^ "'Road Never Healthier,' Guild Chief Tells Press Gathering". New York Daily News. May 8, 1953. p. 17C – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Gil de La Madrid, Antonio. "René Marqués, dramaturgo". Biografías de escritores puertorriqueños, La Gran Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Proyecto Salón Hogar. Accessed February 20, 2013.
  3. ^ Polio, Norine. "Analysis of The Oxcart by René Marqués, Puerto Rican Playwright." Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, Society and Literature in Latin America, Volume V (1982). Accessed February 21, 2013.