Julieta Lanteri and Political Caricature: The Democratic Reach of Commercial Theater and the Expansion of the Public Sphere, Buenos Aires, Argentina

In the early twentieth century, popular theater in Buenos Aires appealed to a diverse audience, including immigrants, men, and women from all social classes, workers, as well as the most elite members of the oligarchy. By analyzing one work in particular, La doctora de Lantera, by Armando B. Rillo and Victor Dolard, one of the most well-attended plays of 1919, this article focuses on how theater reveals the social tensions surrounding the role of women in society during an era of dramatic change. It also shows how theater provides an outlet from which to identify, negotiate, and, at times, resolve cultural differences. La doctora is a comedy that takes its plot straight out of daily life, telling the contemporary story of Julieta Lanteri, the first woman to run for elected office in Argentina. This play showcases how women attempt to access spaces of political power, made by and for men, as well as violence perpetrated by men against women that emerged from this struggle. The play engages the audience without taking a clear stance on its topics, thereby prompting the public to contemplate these social issues for themselves. Through this analysis, the following themes emerge: 1) social control of women during an era of change; 2) language as an instrument for social class inclusion; and 3) male anxiety around shifting gender roles in public discourse. Resumen A principios del siglo XX, el teatro popular de Buenos Aires atraía a un público diverso de argentinos, incluyendo inmigrantes, hombres y mujeres de todas las clases sociales, los obreros y los miembros de la elite oligárquica. A través del análisis de una obra en particular, La doctora de Lantera, por Armando B. Rillo y Victor Dolard, una de las obras más vistas de 1919, este artículo se centra en cómo el teatro revela las tensiones sociales entorno al papel de la mujer en la sociedad durante una época de cambios dramáticos. También exhibe cómo el teatro ofrece una plataforma desde la cual se identifican, negocian y, a veces, se resuelven diferencias culturales. La doctora es una comedia cuya trama sale de la vida diaria y narra la historia contemporánea de Julieta Lanteri, la primera mujer candidata a un cargo electivo del gobierno en Argentina. Esta obra muestra cómo las mujeres intentan acceder a espacios de poder político, creados por y para hombres, así como la violencia masculina contra las mujeres que emergió de