Negotiation and Alliance on Display: Nahuas and Franciscans in the Production of Early Colonial Theatre

Abstract

In early colonial Mexico, theatrical representations were considered one of the most effective tools of evangelization. While traditional narratives of missionary work tend to underscore the control of the Franciscans over the Nahuas, and therefore over the production of cultural artifacts such as plays, power relations were not unilateral, as the Franciscans encountered linguistic and cultural barriers that required the collaboration of the Nahuas. This article provides an analysis of two early plays, La conquista de Rodas and La conquista de Jerusalén, in which it is possible to see a negotiated, but necessary, collaboration between Franciscans and Nahuas. It argues that such collaboration was possible due to a system of relations in which Franciscans and Nahuas were constantly negotiating and making concessions based on their political and social needs. It shows that they used these performances to display their own social and political messages.