NATIONAL THEATRE , San Jose City Central Region

HISTORY

This building is an unvaluable treasure for all Costaricans. It is the result of many efforts, of the dedication of many coffee growers, merchants an of the whole people of Costa Rica. The theatre has been a witness of many political changes, of the success and failures of a young nation, as well as the main scenery of many artistical manifestations of different types, turning to be a national pride. In 1965 it was declared a national monument and since then it is subsidized by the government.

During the colony our country suffered a continous poverty, a cultural isolation and the moralizing influence of the catholic church. We had no theatrical activities of any kind. It was only after our independence from Spain in 1821 that the first sings in this direction showed up by Christmas time. Dramatic art was shown in some of the big houses and everybody had to bring his own chair. The actors were most of the time servants, and women on stage were not allowed.

In 1840 Costa Rica started a very important phase in the economical and political development. The first coffee exports to Europe and a very hopeful economical panorama enlarged the cultural opening in country. Literature and scientific works were imported and studied. We had the arrival of immigrants and travelers of a great academical background, and many young costaricans who went to study to Europe and to the United States. All this created a very interesting intelectual climate for the years to follow when some small theatres were built to house some of the artists passing through the country.

Many government leaders tried to build a national theatre, but because of political instability and a severe economical crisis it was not possible .The government had other priorities and no resources for this kind of building. In 1888 the small existing theatre was destroyed with earthquakes and the country had theatre any more.

After this, a very famous opera singer called Adelina Patti, after having successful presentations in El Salvador and Guatemala, refused to come to Costa Rica because we did not had a theatre of her dignity and high cultural level. We called our wooden theatre of that time; the cockroach theatre, and she did not like that either.

The idea of building a theatre found optional conditions when a group of organized coffeegrowers and merchants proposed to the government to charge a tax on coffee exports of 5 cents for every 11 kilos of exported coffee. This proposal was discussed in many debates and had a mistrust from many sectors. Some people thought it was not fair to charge all coffee growers with the same tax . They thought this was a trick to take them out of the market. Others did not agree with taxing the most important product of the country, and taxes were already too many.

Finally, the tax on coffee was approved by law, charging 25 cents for every 46 kilos of coffee during the time needed to cover the budget. At the same time the law allowed the government to take a loan of 200,000 pesos to start the construction before the tax recollection.

In 1890 the construction work began. Three years later the coffee growers resented this tax very much and the real cost of the building was too far away from what they ever imagined. So, the government took this tax away and instead of that a new tax on imports was charged to all Costa Ricans. In this way the theatre had a secure source of financiation. Costa Rica used to import a lot of basic products, so this new tax affected everybody. 130,000 pesos were collected with the coffee tax. The final cost of the building was paid from the pocket of all costa ricans. The final cost was around 3,000,000.00 pesos. 2, 15 pesos were equivalent to one american dollar in that time.

During the whole seven years of construction, the theatre was the main center of attraction for all costaricans, many of them, who criticized, observed and waited impatiently for the conclusion. San Jose City had in that time about 200,000 inhabitants. Houses were made out of clay and tiles, and the streets of stone or soil.

The plans of the building were made by Costa Rican architects and engineers that had studied in Europe. Later, a famous italian, Mr. Ruy Cristoforo Molinari was hired to correct some architectural mistakes and to improve the design and final construction.

The theatre belongs to the neoclasicism current, one of the most modern currents in middle Europe in that time. Examples of this are the metal structure inside the building and the screwjack mechanism to lift the floor.

The metal structure is made of iron pieces manufactured in Belgium. A great importance was given to it to make the theatre secure (safe) against earthquakes. The sophisticated mechanism under the floor is Italian, tecnique used only by the most important theatres in Europe. It consists in screwjacks that are manually operated to raise this floor up to the same level as the stage. In this the room could be used for parties, dances or other special events.

The dome and ceiling were fused in England. Many capitals and chandeliers were made out of bronze. A lot of semi and precious woods were used for the floors and doors. Some of them were rosewood, cedars and mahogony. The glass for doors and windows was brought from France. Many types of marble were used including the world famous marble; Ravacione from Carrara, Italy. This marble is considered one of the best in the world and was used by Michael Angelo. The two main staircases and the two statues in the vestibule are made out of this marble. They represent comedy and tragedy.

The materials brought from foreign countries arrived by train from Port of Limon to San Jose. In that time the railway was in hands of a foreign company and the freight was very expensive. From the train station to this site oxcarts were used giving work to many Costa Ricans.

The decoration work was in hands of many foreign artissans but the Italians played the most important roll. The façade is renaissance style with three beautiful statues at the top representing Fame, Music and Dance. Also, outside you will see two statues, life size, of the genius of literature Mr. Calderón de la Barca to one side and of Mr. Ludwig von Beethoven to the other side.

The vestibule has a pompey style with marble columns. The only statue made by a costa rican sculptor stands out and is titled: The heroes of Misery.

The foyer is beautifully decorated in the ceiling with three different allegories painted by Vespaciano Bignami. The daylight, the dawn and the night. This same artist was encharged of the decoration of the opera house in Moscow in 1906.

The gran auditorium has a horseshoe form like it was used in Italy in that time .It has a capacity of 1040 persons, and has three floors. The third floor was called the chickenhouse and was destinated for (to) the low classes. There is no acess from the third floor to this part ot the theatre. The doors to get there are located to the sides of the N.T.

The big painting up there is an allegory art and music. Was brought in pieces from Italy and painted by Roberto Fontana, an italian artist. This lamp is called a spider lamp, very heavy an has 90 light bulbs.You can bring it up an down as you desire. The orchesta will take place on the first rows. We only have to unscrew the chairs. The curtain was made in Italy. The presidential balcony is right there on the second floor and is not protected against bullets like is usual in other countries.

The secret boxes or balconies were used by the widows. Nobody could see them and they were not allowed to appear in public. The goldleaf decoration is 22, 5 karatgold.

Mr. Rampazini, an Italian electrical engineer is responsable for all the electrical facilities. In fact the theatre was the first building in the country having electrical lighting.

Two very nice paintings from Aleardo Villa are very well known.

Without knowing the country he painted our national schild with a little smoke or fume coming out ot the three range of mountains. Maybe because he heard that we have many active volcanoes. The real national schild does not have any fume at all.

The other one, the most famous painting of the theater is an allegory to the two most important export products of the country, coffee and bananas. You can observe this painting up in the ceiling were the main staircases are. He was not very familiar with our country, so he made a few technical mistakes that made the painting funny and unique. The bananas in the bunch are up side down. The coffee plantations are painted at sea level, what is wrong. The coffee bushes are too small and the women are typical shobby, very elegant nord italian ladies, very different from our coffee pickers. The oxen have the yoke on their necks. Imagine the poor oxen strangled by pulling all that weight. Normally the joke is tied up to the horns and head. Although he made some mistakes, it is a nice painting and was chosen as a motif for our 5 colones bill. The bill is out of circulation but can be purchased outside as a collection piece.