Francisco Arriví

Francisco Arriví (June 24, 1915 – February 8, 2007), a.k.a. Paco, was a writer, poet and playwright known as "The Father of the Puerto Rican Theater."

Early years Arriví (birth name: Francisco Arriví Alegría) was born in Santurce, a section of the city San Juan, Puerto Rico, to a Spanish father and Puerto Rican mother. He loved to read books, a habit he acquired at the age of six. His grandmother, who used to take him to the theater every week, inspired his interest in theatrical works. He built a small stage in the backyard of his house on Calle Wilson (Wilson Street) when he was 10 years old where, together with his friends, he would make presentations of children's tales.

He received his primary education at the Padre Rufo and Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón public schools, and his secondary high school education at the Escuela Superior Central (Central High School). He became interested in writing poetry during this period of his life. After he graduated from high school, he applied for admission to University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras where he continued his education. He wrote one of his first musical compositions, Himno al Alma Máter, which is the official hymn of said educational institution and in 1938 earned a degree in Spanish and Latin-American literature.

Theatrical career Upon his return to Puerto Rico, and under the direction of Leopoldo Santiago Lavandero, Arriví joined the Sociedad Dramática de Teatro Popular (Drama Society of Popular Theater), who called themselves Areyto (Areyto is a Taino word which means "majestic ceremonial dance"). Arriví used his experience with Areyto in his later theatrical presentations.

Arriví earned a living as an educator at the Escuela Superior de Ponce (Ponce High School) where he founded the school's student drama club, the Tinglado Puertorriqueño. In 1940 he began his career as a playwright at the school, after staging his original play Club de Solteros (Bachelors Club). was presented by Frank Dauster and received an award from the Institute of Literature. That same year he was named director of the theater program of the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture. Also that same year, Arrivi and fellow Puerto Rican theater figure, Leopoldo Santiago, went to the western Puerto Rico city of Mayagüez to watch a play. During that trip, they were among the first people outside Mayagüez to discover young actor, Adrian Garcia.

In 1961 he organized the First Playwright's Seminary. In the seventh celebration of the Puerto Rican Theater Festival, Arriví presented a new version of his first play Club de Solteros (Bachelors Club), now titled Coctel de Don Nadie (Mr. Nobody's Cocktail). His other acclaimed works include: Acto de Fe (Act of Faith), Cantico Para un Recuerdo (Song of Remembrance) and Absurdos Contra la Muerte (Absurdities Against Death).

In Spanish Bolero Y Plena; Editorial Cultural, (84-283-0689-3) Ceiba; Areyto; Cemi; Coqui; Boriken, (84-499-1165-6) Tres Obras De Teatro; Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena, (0-86581-611-5) Via Poetica; Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico, (0-8477-3222-3)

In English Canticle for a Memory; Cross-Cultural Communications, (0-89304-156-4) Via Poetica; Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico, (0-8477-3223-1)

Lyrics to "Himno de la Vida" The following are the lyrics to Francisco Arriví's 1938 Himno de la Vida (The Anthem of Life), the anthem of the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras:

+"Himno de la Vida" by Francisco Arriví Spanish(original version)

Later years Arriví, who was also the cousin of Dr. Ricardo Alegría known as the "Father of Modern Puerto Rican Archaeology", played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré (Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center) in Puerto Rico.

On February 8, 2007, Arriví died of cardiac arrest at the Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital. A vigil was held at the Teatro Francisco Arriví (Francisco Arriví Theater), an old restored theater which the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture named in his honor. He was buried in the Cementerio Los Angeles cemetery of the city of Guaynabo. Arriví was survived by his son Francisco Arriví Cros and two grandchildren.

There is a commemorative plaque in the lobby of Ponce's Teatro La Perla that reads: "Francisco Arriví: Poet, Playwright, Essayist, perennial promoter of Puerto Ricanism and of the eternal values of the universal man." It was placed there by the administration of mayor Jose Dapena Thompson (1984–1988).