ROVINSKY, SAMUEL

ROVINSKY, SAMUEL (1932– ), Costa Rican playwright and author. The son of Polish Jewish immigrants, Rovinsky is a central figure in his country's theater and also involved in experimental dramatic innovations; his works have been included in school curriculies. Together with his main interest in Central American reality, Rovinsky contributed Jewish themes to the national and regional scene. His dramas also contain social satire, parody, and humor. His plays include Las fisgonas de Paso Ancho ("The Busybodies of Paso Ancho," 1971); Un modelo para Rosaura ("A Model for Rosaura," 1974); El martirio del pastor ("The Martyrdom of the Pastor," 1983); La víspera del sábado ("Sabbath Eve," 1985); El laberinto ("The Labyrinth," 1985); Gulliver dormido ("Sleeping Gulliver," 1985); Los pregoneros ("The Town Criers," 1990). He published the short story volumes Cuentos judíos de mi tierra ("Jewish Tales from My Land," 1982) and El embudo de Pandora ("Pandora's Funnel," 1991); and the novel Ceremonia de Casta ("Caste Ceremony," 1979). Rovinsky also wrote essays on theater, play writing, and Costa Rican culture. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: R. Di Antonio and N. Glickman, Tradition and Innovation: Reflection on Latin American Jewish Writing (1993); M.A. Giella and P. Roster, Reflexiones sobre teatro latinoamericano del siglo XX (1989); D.B. Lockhart, Jewish Writers of Latin America. A Dictionary (1997). (Florinda F. Goldberg (2nd ed.)