A Theater of Note

The Insurgentes Theater, where Alejandro and I saw a production of "The Man of La Mancha" on Saturday, is one of the most famous theaters in Mexico City.  It was built in 1952, and the famed artist Diego Rivera was commissioned to decorate the convex façade above the marquee with a mural. 

The mural is entitled "La Historia del Teatro".  It measures 154 feet by 36 feet, and is a mosaic made of Venetian glass.  It portrays scenes from the pre-Hispanic era to the 20th century.  However I don't understand what the images of Mexican heroes such as Hidalgo, Morelos and Juárez have to do with the history of theater.

At the top center of the mural, is a portrait of Cantinflas, the famous comic actor who has been called the "Charlie Chaplin of Mexico".  He is portrayed here as a "Robin Hood" figure, taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor.