Événement

FUENTEOVEJUNA / THE SHEEP WELL

FUENTEOVEJUNA/THE SHEEP WELL synopsis
(from Theatre for a New Audience website) The great Spanish author Lope de Vega (15621635) wrote FUENTE OVEJUNA in 1612 after he was inspired by a historical incident: farmers and peasants of the village of Fuente Ovejuna rose up against a military commander and his soldiers who routinely brutalized and oppressed them. In Lope de Vegas play, after she has been raped by a tyrannical commander and his men, Laurencia, daughter of the Mayor, demands her father and the village leaders face that they didnt stop the crime.
To this all-wise, all-male Council meeting:
You may not allow a woman to vote
But you cant stop her yelling
Her confrontation inspires the entire town to revolt. The Commander is slaughtered, but no one even when tortured will say who is the killer. Each will only admit that everyone is responsible.
FUENTE OVEJUNA is about feminism, class, collective resistance, democracy, and human rights, but it was written long before the Declaration of Independence; French Revolution; the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women the right to vote; and, of course, todays #MeToo movement.
Lope de Vegas words have rung out for centuries. His genius was to create a powerful mix of music, singing, dance, humor, and unforgettable drama. TFANAs production directed by Flordelino Lagundino is the plays Off-Broadway Premiere in English. Adrian Mitchells translation had its world premiere in 1989 at Londons National Theatre where it was acclaimed: A stirring hymn to the passion of fellowship. Whats got into them? asks the lord of his prisoner Love, replies the latter.City Limits (London)
Lope de Vega - playwright
(from SpainisCulture.com). Lope Félix de Vega y Carpio was born in Madrid in 1562. He was taught by Vicente Espinel. He studied with the Jesuits and went to the University of Alcalá de Henares (1577). He is considered to be a chronicler of life which he reflected in an almost autobiographical work. He was outlawed from Madrid and the Kingdom of Castile (1587) due to unrequited love. His fortunes and misfortunes are linked to his irrepressible taste for women and literature. In 1609 he revolutionized Spanish theater with The New Art of Writing Plays. Sacred Verses (1614) is one of the summits of lyrical Spanish and universal poetry. He wrote over 400 plays. He died in Madrid in 1635.