Antesala de un teatro de títeres moderno: Juan Enrique Acuña al frente de los "Títeres del Verdegay" y "Titiritaina" (1944-1960)

During the 40s, puppet theatre began to have an increasingly stable and visible presence in the artistic culture of Buenos Aires as a result of the work of puppeteers who in different ways modernized and legitimized puppet theatre as a theatrical form. Changes in the conception of childhood during the first part of the 20th century influenced the path taken by these artists. Children became productors and creators as well as consumers to whom it was necessary to offer quality products geared to their age. One of the artists who collaborated in this modernization process was Juan Enrique Acuña. His first two productions, "Títeres del Verdegay" and "Titiritaina," linked to traditional forms of puppetry, constitute a prelude during which Acuña established the lines that would characterize his later projects, including dramaturgical and technical innovations. We review the elements aligned with those traditional puppets and at the same time emphasize Acuña's innovations and his reflections on these projects as a first step in the construction of modern puppet theatre.