Dia de fiesta por la tarde
attending a play, written by a Spanish playwright in 1666
Playwright Juan de Zabaleta describes the area reserved for women as a "stew pan."
More women enter. Two of them pass in front of the friends and, without excusing themselves, step on their skirts and disturb their cloaks. The friends comment on the newcomers' rudeness as they brush the dust from their skirts. Some of the women sitting in the front seats begin to eat sandwiches and gossip about one of the men sitting in front of them on the patio.
The stew pan is now full and the doorkeeper enters with four elegant, well-dressed women hidden behind heavy veils. Since they have given him a generous tip, the doorkeeper wants to give them good seats. He tells the two friends to sit closer, and they unwillingly make room and grumble that the veiled woman should have arrived earlier when seats were available.
The friends are hungry since it is 2:30 pm and they haven't eaten lunch. One of the veiled women graciously offers the friends prunes and candied egg yolks. They accept and begin to eat. At this point, there is a fight at the entrance between the doorkeeper and a group of boys who want some women to enter without paying. The boys run into the stew pan and cause a great deal of confusion. The seated women jump up to get out of the way of the fight and push and shove to find safety. many fall to the floor. The police finally arrive and expel the boys, and the women sit again, not on their original seats but wherever they happen to be. The two friends are separated, one near the door and the other on the last bench. One has lost her gloves and ripped her gown, the other has a bloody nose, and since she has lost her handkerchief, uses her petticoat.
There is a lot of complaining until the guitar players enter and peace is restored.
a Spanish guitar
a wealthy Spanish woman
el corral
A public Spanish theater in the 17th century
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