La mascota del barrio
Detailed notes by Kristen McCleary
September 2018
Bambalinas no. 65, 1919
La Escena,
Camilo Darthés (b. Buenos Aires, 1889 to 1974) and Carlos Damel (b. Buenos Aires, 1890 to 1959). Darthes was a businessman and Damel an eye surgeon. They frequently collaborated together with their first play being performed in 1911. They wrote 54 plays together and were known for strong dialogue, humor and suspense. from Willis Knapp Jones, 142-144 and Perla zayas de lima, diccionario de autores teatrales argentinos.
Characters
Dora, Micaela, Sara are sisters – Doña Luisa their mom
Opening:
Raulito, the little brother, plays with a soccer ball—Don’t worry, I won’t get hit by a car, he tells his family
It is in a family room that is both dining room and living room, there are newpapers and sewing materials over oilcloth. Family has economic trouble. Dora says, we will have to stay in all month because we do not have summer clothing …girls all run to the window to see new car of their neighbors and comment on the fashions of the young women they see.
Lorenzo (son / brother) described as un haragan/lazy, a loafer. He was all day in el Pío (not sure what it is) apparently an estate sale/auction, where he saw people “burn through money.” He saw someone pick up a pearl necklace “each pearl as big as a garbanzo bean.” It went for 20,000 pesos. Another bought a stove for 40 pesos and a Kodak camera worth 200, was sold for only 65 pesos.
Micaela and Sara are exasperated with how he spends his days. He explains that he went to the auction instead of to the movies to kill time. He says, don’t complain, at least I rub elbows with wealthy people and learn their ways.
Carmen comes in – she has a light Italian accent. Can you loan me a can opener? Because Santiago was given a can of preserves.
They look out the window. Carmen says, Another car in Sra Fernandez’ place. Before you all came to live here, her place was filled with senators, congressmen, and other political types.
The girls intrigued come close—how do you know all of this? They ask her
Why through Juanita who used to live in the part of the apt. you all are now renting. She worked selling hats in gath y chavez department store where she met Sra Fernandez. She had a sick brother who had neurastenia. Sra de Fernandez and liked her so she gave her work, taking her out of the dept. store and setting her up with a hat-making business. sending clients to her–making 56 hats in one month. Then helped her open her own fashionable shop and now look at the car she has! Everyone who Sra F. helps are now in the clouds! (well off). She got a job as comisario de Langosta for Juanita’s cousin and he makes 400 pesos a month, just killing lobsters!
Lorenzo dreaming about sra de Fernandez helping them out. What a drag it is to be poor! With a salary of 400 pesos per month, you girls could have with a clothing boutique in the center of the city, we could to the theater, drive in cars, I could smoke, go to the races, (he is lounging) …
Rodolfo comes in asks Micaela to type something for him– she works as a typist.
He goes near Sara who is grading papers. When will you become a principal, he asks her? When you become a politician, she answers.
then declares his love for Sara who says it would be a mistake for them to both tie their miseries together. She supports family and cannot think of romance, love is a temple of luxury that you cannot enter wearing tennis shoes. “el amor es un templo de lujo donde no se puede entrar en zapatillas.” He says he will wait for her
Outside screaming. Sra. Fernandez’ car hits Raulito. He is okay but Sra F. comes in anyway and meets them all. She asks for some cognac and they have to slip out to the store to buy some because they do not have any (Vermouth Cocktail hour) Sra. F. is described as 36, always smiling, warm, inspires trust. She is looking over every detail of their living condition.
Oribe Guzman, a blonde elegant gentleman also comes in, his hat in his hand. He is a medical doctor.
Renata is also there and she is cold w Sra F. she tries to leave and Sra. F. says why? R. says, it is better for me not to say anything. She leaves and Sra F. explains to the sisters that Renata is an orphan, and neurastenica. Sra F. she says she takes Renata in out of charity, what can one do?
Dora, micaela, sara are sisters
dora the oldest is a hat maker, micaela is a typist without work,sara a teacher, at the streets of garay y chacabuco. Wow, that is far, isn’t it says Sra. F. (locations of neighborhoods)
And Sra F promises to introduce Micaela to a little old man who employees a lot of typists. M. is very happy.
Sra f. what luck I have met you all, I will take away your sadness, tonight in my car we’ll go to the parque japones…sara worries she has no hat to wear, M. says well buy one.
But I don’t have more than 30 pesos until payday!
It will only cost 10 or 12 pesos, and Sra. F. will pay says a sister. Sra F. seems particularly interested in Sara.
Rodolfo asks Sara to not go out with them all. She goes.
Carmen runs back in. she heard about the accident at the corner store of Don Bartolo. She calls Sra F a saint for helping Juanita, “wherever you go, good luck follows.” She tells the girls they have hit the lottery with the attention of the “pet” of the neighborhood.
Second act
Opens in same room but we see there have been many improvements. A piano, more furniture, a nice doily on the table, a sofa with various cushions that do not match. A wooden horse toy for Raulito. . A clock on the wall. Rodolfo is at theTypewriter (he must be a tenant at the same boarding house) sara reading a fashion magazine. It is two am, and the fan is going full blast.
Where are the girls, I think at the Coliseo (a theater)
Rodolfo is finishing work that Micaela should be doing since SRA F. gave her a typewriter so she could work at home. But she is out and there is a deadline soon.
Sra f spoils them. Micaela still does not have a job. But she has nice dresses now. R. tries to figure out where money comes from.
Asks Sarah if this weekend they will go to Tigre again. Yes, she says, for how long? Just for the day. R: last time you spent the night. S: yes, because the boat broke down.
Rodolfo, ironically, I swore I saw you all at 4 am at the Hotel Carapachav …Sarah says no, Rodolfo says well I know that Dr. Oribe Guzman was there because his car is unmistakable. And at 5 am Sra. F. entered.
Sara: No, Sra. F was with us all night.
Rodolfo: you are lying. I saw you with Oribe Guzman, Micaela with a stranger, and dora with juan carlos aramburu, a rich fool full of trouble. R. says he is suffering because of Sarita’s ways. he is ashamed to see Sarita losing her youth, her beauty her dignity all over the sites of Buenos aires.
They hear a car horn. Lorenzo comes in dressed up smoking a cigar, rings on, a cane and gloves—he has been out for days. He got a telegram from headquarters and is headed out for Olavarria the next day.
Lorenzo ran into sra f. and two sisters at Confiteria Paris. He doesn’t like the fact that his sisters are wandering the streets at two am. Even if it is with super honest Sra F. People talk and exaggerate. He says to Lorenzo that. he should not let them go with her anymore, Lorenzo says he can’t she has helped them so much, she has done more than family would. Plus with her card of introduction, they have named me comisario de primero. She is so connected! Where else can I earn1500 pesos a month…plus she is a lady and girls know what they are doing. I can’t lose my job I have so many expenses now. 200 pesos I drop so easily and my personal expenses are more than 1,000 a month. I cannot lose the contacts I have because of Sra F. R: and the rest of your House lives on 200 pesos a month?
L: yes, the girls are very hard working. They sew their own clothes and hats. The piano was a gift from el diputado/congressman Morales to Micaela—you know the guy who hired me.
R: Sara said that you had bought the piano.
Lorenzo says well I guess she wanted to keep up appearances.
R: you know that woman is not trustworthy. You need to take care of your sisters.
Rodolfo exits
Sara and Lorenzo talk about their sisters not being home yet. She changes the hour on the clock so when the mom wakes up she does not realize the girls are still out at a very late hour
Finally they show up with Sra F. Micaela is drunk and singing. Oribe Guzman is with them.
We were at the Argentino (teatro). That Parra is hilarious (reference to Parravicini https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florencio_Parravicini)
Oribe: you have no idea how hard it was to get her out of there. She was singing the waltz La Duquesna in the ante palco /box seats
Sra f. says they saw Lorenzo at confitera paris next to the theater. Didn’t he tell you? He was staring at us all night. We were with Aramburu. Micaela won’t stop singing. They try to put her to bed.
Oribe is flirting with dora who flirts back, rocking in the chair seductively. He asks, where did you put the bracelet I bought you? She says, it is hidden.
O: If someone asks, who will you say gave it to you?
Dora: Aramburu
O: Where will you be this afternoon
D: at Harrod’s with Sarah
O: When will I see you alone?
Dora: [flirting] One of these days. O: tomorrow? D: no, don’t worry I will call you on the phone when I am free
O: Do you want me to break up with Sara tonight?
D: I doubt you are capable of doing that.
O: Let’s bet tomorrow’s date. If I do it you meet me tomorrow at 3
D: On one condition. Sara must never know that I have replaced her in your heart.
O: I swear
D: I know this is perverse but tell me you never loved her.
O: I never did. It was only a pretext to get closer to you. [he nears her and kisses her]
D: Don’t take any chances. I don’t want Sra F. to know either. Okay so I will go to Harrod’s tomorrow alone at three.
Sara says she needs to talk to Oribe and he to Sara, Sra. F whispers to him, be careful there are Moors on the coast.
Oribe and Sara—she asks him if he had a good time this evening. He says, without you I am bored. He is smoking. She asks why he had not come before.
Oribe: I saw your sisters on Avenida y Piedras when I was driving. I invited them to get in so we could go to the Coliseo. Dora wanted to stay.
Sara: Dora has a lot of interest in you.
O: Don’t be silly. Aramburu was there, too.
S: Yes, but he only stayed until the second act
O: How do you know that?
S: Someone told me
Don’t be silly, he says. Do not get jealous about your sister.
Oribe is playing both sisters…telling them not to be jealous of one another. Sara tells him, what about the bracelet you gave dora, Don’t you know that Micaela told me everything?
O: Don’t believe her. She was drunk. Aramburu and Dora fought that is why he left at the second act.
S: You are quite adept at inventing excuses.
O: Believe me.
S: I have to believe you. The only man I have loved. I have to believe that you are not fooling around with my sister. …Pretty soon, I will have to leave the school and this house because my state will be visible. I hope you can take me with you. You will see what a good mother I can be.
I think sara is pregnant and hector oribe freaks out, saying many young women have survived what is happening to her, but clearly not stepping up. She is very upset. He tells her to go ask sra. F. what to do….she attacks him with a vase for suggesting such a thing—he stops her from hitting him on the head with it.
O: [he is pale and he takes her by the wrist] What in the world have you done?
S: [frozen she cannot quite take it all in]Hector, Hector!
O: You need to tell Sra F. now.
S: You don’t love me? This has all been a game?
O: Don’t play dumb.
S: You bastard…What disgrace and shame. My child. What am I to do? We must fix this.
O: Right exactly we must fix this. A lot of women have been in your situation and they come out fine. You must go to SRa F. She will fix things
S: What do you mean by fix things? I want you to say it clearly. I want to be sure I understand you.
O: Ask Sra F. She will explain it better than I can. [Sara picks up a vase and tries to hit him over the head but he grabs her wrist before she can]
Lorenzo enters: hey what is going on. Why is sara crying?
O: She had a fight with her boyfriend and now wants me to fix everything.
Dora enters. She and Oribe whisper about their date tomorrow. Sara asks what they are whispering about. Realizes the situation and moans, bastards!
Third act
A small table with a phone on it. A room leads to another. There is a piano.
Sra fermandez plays piano and Angelica and Clota are dancing a tango together
The phone rings. Sra F answers and is making arrangements apparently for a man who wants to see a particular girl on Sunday who is not available. After the phone call a woman enters, and maids exit. Carolina is about 50. Sra F. gives her money and she takes it.
Sra. F. asks her, who is going with you on Sunday? My 18 year old daughter Encarnacion. Sra F: is she a clothes presser? C: No she worked as a cashier in a pharmacy. Sra F.: what does she do now? C: Well, she stays at home. We make enough money. For awhile she was out and about with a wealthy man, seen on the street with him. We knew he was trying to take advantage of her so we have prohibited her from going out.
Sra. F. well bring here here, she will die of boredom. For me, it will be entertainment.
Carolina (confused) And for me an honor sra.
Carolina leaves and dr. costa enters with bad news about Laura. She has gone to the court asking a pension for herself and her son. Costa says: What will I do if my wife and daughter find out?
Sra F: where does Laura live?
Costa: I don’t know any longer. For awhile she lived in an apt. I rented for her in Mataderos. She disappeared one day to the next.
Sra F: with who?
Costa: Some guy Golman, a Jewish procurer/procurador
Sra. F. well, to fix this all we need is money. How much can you afford?
He says, as little as possible, 3 or 4 thousand pesos. No, she says that will cause a scandal. We need to give 10,000 pesos.
Costa: So you can get me out of this jam?
Sra F.: yes, we just need to calm down and fix it. [she asks the maid to bring coffee, anisette, and cognac to calm his nerves]
Sra f. calls golman and they arrange to meet at Cerrito 1807 at nine that evening.
She explains that Golman will come to them and she will explain that a lawsuit is in no one’s favor. Costa does not want to pay more than 5000. She says, but you paid 84000 for a bull at the fair recently and you can’t pay more to keep a woman quiet?
Basically, costa has impregnated laura and sra. F. talks him into giving 10 to 15,000 pesos to hush laura up. If not it will cause a public scandal in courts and his legitimate daughters, son in law and grandson and wife will all find out, and the newspapers too. Costa finally agrees to fixing it for 20,000 pesos. She then allows him to take two girls in her care, clota Rossi and angelica Sanchez, to lunch at Harrod’s [why is Harrod’s where they go?]
Costa: So girls you are going to have tea at Harrod’s? Clota: Yes, and we need to buy some things. We might go over to Figueroa too. Angelica: oh right. Clota to Costa: Sra F. said Mr. Figueroa could get my brother a job. Anjelica: Mr Figueroa is so nice. Clota: He sure is. Look at this ring he gave me. Costa: why don’t you girls come out to lunch with me tomorrow? Clota: We do not go anywhere without Sra F.
Costa figures out that they are trying to get rid of him and takes his hat and leaves.
Oribe shows up and wants to see Dora. Sra F. says no way, get out. Sara might show up and in her condition if she sees you two together it will be bad. He says, he Sra F. it was your idea for me to cheat on Sara with her sister, now you are playing innocent?Sra F. denies it. He says, any second Micaela and Dora will show up. Do me a favor, and give me a second alone. Sra F leaves. He makes a phone call and Renata listens, she holds herself up at the door frame. He sees Renata and says, I was just calling my girlfriend, and he laughs.
She is nervous and says you need to leave, Sara has written to me that she knows everything. She is going to show up. Renata tells him to leave the girls alone—he is getting married in a week and does not need to do any more damage to the family.
She begs him to leave Dora alone. He tells her to mind her own business. She says that if he does not leave them alone, she will tell Dora everything about his fiancée.
Dora and Micaela show up. Oribe tries to leave saying Renata is ill. Renata says you have one last chance Oribe..he looks at her in disdain and leaves with Micaela and Dora.
Sara does show up and Renata lies that Oribe is not there. Sara says that she is going to beg him not to leave her on the street…she says I have come to have him pay his bill. I have sacrificed my honor, flesh and blood, let him turn my sister into a beast…but not my child, he is mine alone. But my child will live!
Every night I go to sleep, pressing this remedy btn my fingers, which would destroy my insides. But I will not take it. my child will live, I want him to live. Renats: yes, let him live. [hugs her and they both cry]
Sara: where is he? R: in the living room with your sisters.
Sara leaves. Sra F. comes in. Why have you gotten up Renata? It is very imprudent! [Renata is sick, she has taken the remedy for her own pregnancy it seems]
Renata threatens sra Fernandez with a crime against her after Sra F. threatens to throw her out on the street. Sra. F you will get 3 to 5 years. Didn’t you give me your consent? Asks sra f. Renata: you lied to me. You painted a picture of misery for me and my child. You manipulated me. Sra F.: Did I not take care of you through all of this, each night caring for you like a mother? Renata: You were just afraid I was going to die.
Sra f. all of you young women are alike, you all do what you want and then blame me when you get in trouble.
Renata: no you are guilty, all of you who work in this city surrounded by luxury, to deceive us all the better. And you prostitute the poor innocents who trust you.…you kill their innocent babies. You poison everything and go free…because you operate with impunity under the protection of old decrepit men and young wealthy men. You should go to jail. Ha jail is too good for you. Hanging is as well. Because you are serpents, beasts..
Sra f. grabs her throat tells her to hush up
Sara and Oribe argue. In the other room. Micaela y Dora enter and see sra f strangling renata
Dora: Stop Stop
Micaela: Sara is going crazy
They hear a shot coming from the other room.
Sara runs in with the gun which suddenly goes off, hitting Sra F.
Micaela: Sara have you gone crazy/
Sara to Sra F. who is dying: die, you viper…
Narrative description:
La mascota del barrio, explicitly illustrates upward mobility, from lower to middle class, as a result of three young sisters successful entre into prostitution. Notably, their father is absent from their lives and the family struggles financially. The first scene of the play, when the girls are still poor, opens up in a dining room that doubles as living room. Sewing paraphernalia and newspapers are strewn over one table, covered with a stained cloth. After the “pet of the neighborhood,” Señora Fernandez, “helps them out” by leading them to prostitution, their home changes. Scene two takes place in the same room but now it is decorated and has more furniture, and that symbol of middle class life, a piano, next to a table with a pretty table cloth. There is a sofa and a variety of pillows that “do not match one another,” implying, perhaps, a middle class decorating ideal. A large wooden horse is also there, and the play notes that “the audience will assume” this was a gift from Sra. Fernandez to their little brother. There is also a hanging clock.
La Mascota del Barrio also provides specific detail on the city’s geography and to its points of recreation most frequented by the middle classes. For example, Sra. Fernandez takes the girls to the amusement park, Parque Japones, and later the men she introduces them to, takes them to the Hotel Carapachay in the river delta town of Tigre, the Confiteria Paris, and the Teatro Coliseo. One of their friends, Lorenzo, describes how he spent the day going to an auction house (where he describes longingly, how much a pearl necklace, Kodak camera, and bronze stove were sold for: “Oh, if I had only had money to buy them!”) rather than to the movies, so that he could learn how to act like “people with money” do. The play mentions how Sra. Fernandez had helped another girl leave her job at the department store Gathes y Chávez to start her own hat-selling business. She introduced her to a number of “clients” who had made her “hat making business” successful.
Review: Ultima Hora january 8, 1919
Says that the play would be worthy of censure due to it being too realistic and crude if it were not for its moral lesson.
A lot of commentary on its morality and melodrama.
If the authors thought to fix or warn people by the example of misery ad showing how precarious it is to be poor, they really achieved it without needing the shot at the final scene. Our primitive playwrights alternate the gun shot now with the fatal thrust of a dagger. Death in these cases does not teach us anything.
Si los senores darthes y damel pensaron curar o precaver con el ejemplo mostrado en toda su miseria, ese peligro constante en que vive la pobrez padeciendo el acecho encarnizado de ciertas Celestinas elegantes y perversas, no tenian necesidad ninguna de recurrir al tiro final, al disparo de revolver de las obras melodramaticas, que tambien en nestors primitiviso sainetones se alternaba con el visteo de faca y la punalada fatal. La muerte en estos casos no enseña nada.