El Güegüense is a satire drama performed during the feast of San Sebastián, one of the patron saints of the city of Diriamba in the Carazo province in Nicaragua. El Güegüense, a synthesis of Spanish and indigenous cultures, combines theatre, dance, and music. It is one of the most distinct colonial-era expressions in Latin America.
The earliest known copies of the story were probably written in the early eighteenth century. It revolves around encounters between Spanish colonial officials and native Americans, particularly El Güegüense, the central character. El Güegüense is an influential figure in pre-Hispanic Nicaragua who overcame accusations levied against him by officials in the form of clever verbal maneuvers. Instead of directly challenging or confronting authority, he attempts to appear consistent and compliant while employing subterfuge to undermine Spanish authority.
The play contains 14 characters in total: three mestizos, Güegüense, and his brothers - Don Forsico and Don Ambrosio. Additionally, there are four Spanish authorities, Tastuanes Governor, Alguacil Mayor Lieutenant, the Royal Clerk, and the Royal Assistant, three women: Suche Malinche and her two companions, and four beasts of burden - Macho, Macho-moto, Macho-Viejo, and Macho-Mohino.
A lot of attention is paid to the costumes of the different characters in the play. The Spanish are dressed elegantly in colonial clothes with high stockings and spangles, and their masks show their white or light brown skin. Their mustaches are vague. The Mestizos wear straw hats and dress in simple clothes. They walk in sandals or barefoot and carry a rattle with a metal point. Usually, the beasts ("machos") walk barefoot, sporting vests embellished with spangles and masks of horses, as well as horsehair rope, and carry a metal rattle with them. Ladies wear long dresses, necklaces, and earrings. A violin, guitar, and drum provide musical accompaniment.
The tradition is particularly known to Nicaragua's Spanish-speaking population due to the country's ongoing television coverage of the annual Saint's Day procession. It is so well known that Nicaraguans coined the expression "to put on Güegüense's face" to refer to anyone who outwardly appears to conform to the rules while subtly undermining them.
The central plot of El Güegüense is a deception for monetary gain. As a result, El Güegüense has often been considered symbolic of local government officials. Although popular, the production is in danger of declining in popularity and possibly disappearing, due to the country’s difficult economic condition. Its decline is also attributed to insufficient support for its performers, as well as a decreasing interest among young audiences.
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