author
Mariano Barranco
b. 1850
A lively Spanish playwright and journalist from Valencia, he was known in his day for popular comic and dramatic works that reached readers and theatergoers across late 19th-century Spain. His career also included newspaper work, giving his writing a brisk, stage-ready energy.
1 Audiobook
Tres Comedias Modernas en un acto y en prosa
by Mariano Barranco, Luis Cocat, Heliodoro Criado y Baca, Miguel Ramos Carrión
About the author
Born in Valencia in 1850, Mariano Barranco y Caro was a Spanish writer best remembered for his dramatic works. Contemporary reference sources described him as the author of many much-applauded plays, and surviving editions of his work show a strong presence in comic theater and short stage pieces.
He was active in Madrid's literary and journalistic world as well. From around 1876 to 1880 he served as an assistant editor for the Gaceta de Madrid, and he also contributed to periodicals including La Época and La Niñez. That mix of theater and journalism helps explain the direct, accessible feel associated with his writing.
Barranco died on July 26, 1917. Although he is not widely read today, library catalogs, digital archives, and public-domain collections preserve a range of his plays, keeping his place in Spanish theatrical history alive.