La Casa de Bernarda Alba-Part Deux

I can finally fill you all in in terms of pictures up to this point. Let me see how this blog works with pictures. Then I'll finish up the evening and move on to the adventure of last week.

Now to the ending and description of La Casa de Bernarda Alba. I had already read this play twice (once in my Spanish 339 class with Dr. Quackenbush and again in my TMA 202 class with Dr. Jones. I feel pretty familiar with the play and the playwright. With that said, it was neat to hear the actors with their spanish accents. Most of the actors had very white skin (I would imagine reflecting the Spanish characters). The set was very minimalist.

     The director is in the last photo. He did an excellent job with this production. Gloria loved Yosi Lugo, found in the second photo from the top of this section right next to the maid in black (to the left of her). Here's another photo for publicity:

     Yosi Lugo's movement's were very calculated as she moved around with a cane. I could tell she moved with purpose. She was a fantastic actress to watch. When she entered the scene all the characters moved towards her as if she was the epicenter of action. The daughters each had their idiosyncrasies and some were more boring than others, but overall each brought to the scene something fresh. I could tell they had done their homework and brought themselves through each person they portrayed. The maid was a terrific actress as well, bringing the servant accent, a lower-class accent, to the stage. I don't really know how to describe this accent except to say it was very distinct from the "proper" accent of the other actresses.
     The play also included a saxophonist. What a neat element. Part of the purpose for this saxophonist was to draw out the mood after a verbal battle. Perhaps the saxophone was meant to keep the mood melancholy, almost without hope. Sometimes it played under the dialogue. I don't think I would have thought about adding music, but it was very creative and added this director's unique touch to a Lorca classic.

     The set was magnificently minimalistic. The essential was used so that the dialogue was the focus of the play. I enjoyed that aspect. It seemed to say that the play was of utmost importance and that what Lorca had written was universal and important to say. The bare poles in the back of the stage represented corridors where people would pass and eavesdrop. The couches in the front were the bare essential so that the interaction of all characters could focus on the dialogue. The dialogue is important because one of the highlights of this show is the fact of gossip. This is one of the signs of repression. Talking openly about problems and seeking solutions in a democratic way was out of the question in the times of Lorca. Thus the people had to spread rumors and talk in secret in order to relieve themselves. La Casa de Bernarda Alba is a perfect example of Spain under a dictatorship (aka-Bernarda). Right when the play is supposedly written Francisco Franco takes power. He was Spain's dictator from 1936-1975.

     The skeletal structure on the stage left section of the stage was used for the "room" of the crazy grandmother, the room where Bernarda gossips with the mother of the woman who is stoned (if I interpreted the play correctly), and the barn where Adela hangs herself, though the actual hanging action occurred from the top of the curtain, showing only the legs falling. It appeared like a prison cell, which was a wonderful touch to the play's aesthetic feel.
May I add here a complaint. I'm not sure if this is a Mexican theater etiquette problem, or if it's because the audience didn't value a performance for only 90 pesos, or if they just didn't like the play, but come on! where is the respect the theater deserves? People were making their way to their seats probably 30 minutes into the play. I recognize the concept of time in Latino America is different than in the United States, but it doesn't count for the disrespect shown to the actresses. A "chavo" held a conversation on his phone in the actual theater. I couldn't believe it! I was completely disgusted by the lack of respect. Other than that the only other complaint was the sound system. When the actresses began using a louder voice, even shouting, the sound system began to fail and it was hard to discern what they were actually saying. Other than that it was a very enjoyable and humbling experience. When the performance ended the director called out a few famous people in the audience, including famous actors in Mexico. A beautiful evening with its good and bad.