Three Hats: A Comedic Tragedy
Three Hats
by Michael Mihura
Summary
Act One
The play begins in a hotel room where Dionisio receives a farewell visit from Don Rosario. Left alone, Dionisio plays with his wedding hats. Paula, a Music Hall dancer, bursts in arguing with her boss, Buby. Dionisio pretends to be a juggler. Buby enters, and a ridiculous conversation ensues. The phone rings, but Dionisio ignores it, hiding his girlfriend from the others. Music Hall girls invite them to a party. Don Rosario returns to play a goodnight song, allowing Dionisio to sneak off to the party.
Act Two
At the party, Dionisio prepares to leave out of boredom. Paula, initially trying to stop him, sees a financial opportunity. Buby convinces her to entertain a wealthy gentleman, but the man’s advances become too aggressive. Dionisio intervenes, and he and Paula continue their earlier conversation. They share a kiss, but Buby interrupts, striking Paula. Dionisio helps her up, and the phone rings again. This time, he answers, revealing his girlfriend, Margarita, to Paula. Margarita’s father, Don Sacramento, is on his way to the hotel.
Act Three
Don Sacramento arrives and warns Dionisio against a bohemian lifestyle. After he leaves, Paula emerges from her hiding place, now aware of Dionisio’s engagement. He apologizes, explaining his intention to marry Margarita. Paula accepts this, confessing her hatred for the brides of her friends. Don Rosario returns, and Paula hides again. Dionisio says a final, unspoken goodbye to Paula as he leaves with Don Rosario.
Genre and Structure
Three Hats is a theatrical work blending comedy and tragedy. Mihura adheres to classical drama’s unities of action, time, and space. The three acts follow a traditional structure: beginning, middle, and end.
- Act One introduces the characters and conflict, focusing on their pretenses.
- Act Two presents the central conflict, Dionisio’s immersion in Paula’s world of illusion and absurdity.
- Act Three concludes with the resolution, Dionisio’s return to his conventional life, crushed by Don Sacramento’s bourgeois values.
Characters
Main Characters
- Dionisio: A timid, conventional young officer, clinging to social norms. He desires a traditional marriage but briefly explores a bohemian lifestyle with Paula before ultimately succumbing to societal expectations.
- Paula: A young, beautiful, and sincere Music Hall dancer tied to Buby. She uses fantasy and imagination to escape her difficult reality but ultimately accepts her fate. Paula symbolizes freedom and dreams, contrasting with Margarita and bourgeois values.
- Buby: The manager of the Music Hall ballet, bridging the bohemian and bourgeois worlds. He exploits the dancers for profit, highlighting the hypocrisy of the conventional world.
Secondary Characters
- Music Hall Girls: Fanny, Madame Olga, Sagra, Trudy, Carmela, etc., represent the exploited underbelly of the entertainment world, serving the bourgeois society.
- Don Rosario: The affectionate hotel owner, offering kindness and comfort to Dionisio.
Other Characters
- The Hateful Lord, Hunter Cunning, the Ancient Military, the Alegre Explorer, the Romantic Lover, the Handsome Boy: These characters embody the hypocrisy of bourgeois morality, contributing to the play’s farcical nature.