Francisco Arriví, often called the “Father of Puerto Rican Theater,” was celebrated for works that explored race, identity, and folklore. By 1986, his influence was solidified through iconic plays such as Vejigantes, which delves into Afro-Puerto Rican heritage and racial tension. This festival honored his life’s work and reflected Puerto Rico’s effort to canonize its own dramatic literature. The poster’s imagery — Arriví’s portrait, folkloric characters, theatrical masks — emphasizes the merging of national identity with stagecraft, a cornerstone of Arriví’s artistic philosophy.
Francisco Arriví, often called the “Father of Puerto Rican Theater,” was celebrated for works that explored race, identity, and folklore. By 1986, his influence was solidified through iconic plays such as Vejigantes, which delves into Afro-Puerto Rican heritage and racial tension. This festival honored his life’s work and reflected Puerto Rico’s effort to canonize its own dramatic literature. The poster’s imagery — Arriví’s portrait, folkloric characters, theatrical masks — emphasizes the merging of national identity with stagecraft, a cornerstone of Arriví’s artistic philosophy.
