GENERO CHICO

(Spanish: little genre), Spanish literary genre of light dramatic or operatic one-act playlets, as contrasted with the gnero grande of serious drama or opera. Developed primarily in the theatres of Madrid during the later 19th century, gnero chico works usually dealt with Madrid's lower classes, whose way of life was regarded with mingled sentimentality and satiric humour. Carlos Arniches, Ricardo de la Vega, and Toms Luceo were the chief writers in the genre.