Spanish Actors at Ghent and Brussels 1594-1681

Abstract

that Salazar as autor was again in Valencia in 1634-35. J-'Data in BRAE, II, 539, 540, 544 show that Romero and his company (whose names are not given) were in Valencia in August of 1635 to begin a run of fifty performances and again in August of '38 for a similar run. i;ìJuan Rana, as Rennert affirms, belonged for many years to the company of Pedro de la Rosa. It was in this company that he performed in Valencia in the fall and early winter of 1637 (a datum lacking in Rennert) . We should not know of his presence there except for an entry in BRAE, II, 542, where it is reported that on December 5 there was no performance by the company "por estar purgai Juan Rana." Spanish Actors at Ghent and Brussels 1594-1681 Harry R. Hoppe, Michigan State University Several years ago the Bulletin of the Comediantes kindly published an article of mine on Spanish actors at the Court in Brussels.1 The following material about Spanish entertainers in Brussels and Ghent is a byproduct of an investigation of Belgian archives that was undertaken in the summers of 1959 and I960.2 Though it is desultory and does not make for coherent presentation, it offers previously unpublished information that may prove useful for future investigators . I present the findings in chronological order. Troupe of PEDRO PEREZ 1594Brussels An account book of the Archduke Ernest of Austria, Governor-General of the Spanish Netherlands (1593fl595 ) preserved in the General Archives at Brussels (Manuscrits Divers 2924, f. 143r) , records payment of 80 reals to Perez and his troupe: "Den 18 Appriles petro perez Commediantistos3 50 cronnen sindt 80 R." The name is too common to offer secure identification. We may observe, however, that the actor-list in H. A. Rennert, The Spanish Stage in the Time of Lope de Vega,4 mentions a Pedro Perez who was in the cast of Lope's Los Guzmanes de Toral, composed before 1604.5 On 17 January 1624, acting for the Valencia General Hospital, which held the monopoly of the theatre in that city, a Pedro Perez was despatched to Oriola to arrange for the coming of Manuel Simon 's troupe to Valencia. These "sergents recruteurs" who carried on such negotiations were generally, according to Mérimée, lesser officials of the theatre." This clustering of activities relating to a Pedro Perez between 1594 and 1624 may thus point to the same man who was prospering as an autor at the earlier date but had declined to a theatrical factotum three Two SPANISH ENTERTAINERS 1599Ghent The Ghent city accounts for 15991600 (f. 26Iv) note the payment of 16 s. 8 gr. for a performance by "a certain two Spaniards" before the city council in May 1599: "Betaelt an seker twee spaegnaerden de somme van xvi s. viij gr. hemlieden by myne voornomde heeren vanden College ghejont ter respecte van seker vertooch ende spel by hemlieden jnde voornoomde maend [mayo 99] ghedaen op den collane soldere." The small emolument suggests that their presentation was simple: acrobatics, legerdemain, or the like. CONSALO DE HANAGUI 1607Ghent An entertainer with this Spanishsounding name was paid 5 s. for performing before the Ghent city authorities in June 1607 "a certain gallantry and piece of recreation": "Betaelt Consalo de hanagui de somme van ? s. hem toegheleyt voor dat hy an myne heeren Scepenen vertoocht heeft jn junio 1607 seker galanterie 17 en spel van recreatie"7 1620Troupe ofGhent BALTASAR DE VARLIOS This company received £2 8 s. for performing a comedy before the city officials on 31 June: "Betaelt Baltesar de varlios de somme van ij£ viij s. groten hem met syne compagnie wesende spaensche commedianten ghejont voor eenen toelegh ter causen dat sy den lesten juny 1620 vertoocht hebben aenden schepenen eene van haerlieden commedien".8 This autor's name I have not found in any studies of the Spanish theatre that have come to my attention. Apart from the material for 16141618 cited in my previous article in the Bulletin of the Comediantes, the printed sources record no further visits of Spanish players to the Spanish Netherlands till the 1660's, and none, even...