The son of Don Juan

A vivid portrait unfolds of a man whose early years were defined by precision and discipline. Born in Madrid in 1832, he excelled at the Escuela de Caminos, graduating at the top of his class and earning a reputation for meticulous obedience. Yet beneath the engineer’s methodical exterior lay a restless curiosity for the stage, nurtured by countless evenings watching dramas from the great European repertoire.

The narrative follows his quiet transformation from a celebrated civil‑engineer to an unexpected playwright. A chance encounter with his younger brother’s modest verse ignites a spark, prompting him to draft his first tragic drama—a work he later hides away, unsure of its worth. As he delves deeper into the craft, the story captures his struggle to reconcile the logical rigor of his profession with the alluring, spontaneous world of theater, hinting at the brilliance that will soon reshape Spanish drama.