About the work
Don Gil von den grünen Hosen (Spanish: Don Gil de las calzas verdes, "Don Gil of the Green Breeches") is a comedy of intrigue by Tirso de Molina, first performed in July 1615 at the Mesón de la Fruta in Toledo by Pedro de Valdés's company. It was not printed until 1635, in the fourth collected volume of his comedies.
Plot
Betrayed by her fiancé Martín, who plans to woo the wealthy Inés under the false name "Don Gil," Doña Juana follows him to Madrid disguised as a man and adopts the name Don Gil herself to thwart his plans. Further disguises spin the plot into confusion, until no fewer than four characters appear on stage as "Don Gil."
Cultural significance
The play is considered one of the finest examples of the cross-dressing comedy pioneered by Lope de Vega's comedia nueva, and remains one of Tirso de Molina's most frequently performed works.