Step into the 30's

Southern Spain in the 1930s was a country dominated by the Catholic Church. It was a time when women and men lived in defined roles -- a place where morality and tradition ruled.

This is the setting for the play "The House of Bernarda Alba," written in 1936 by Spanish playwright and poet Federico Garcia Lorca.

Alba, presented by the department of theatre arts and directed by Mary Coleman, opens tonight at 8 p.m. in the Little Theatre.

The play is the tragic portrait of a family suffocating under a domineering mother, obsessed with raising her five daughters in a strict religious environment.

The play is set inside the home of Bernarda Alba, who lives in a small town in Andalucia. After her husband dies, she tries to keep a tight reign on her five daughters, taking on the patriarchal role. But suppressed passion and jealousy between the daughters slowly tear the family apart.

"What I like most about the play is that it's an all-woman cast," said Claudya Martinez, who plays the oldest daughter, Angustias. "Although it was written in the '30s, on a lot of levels it addresses real issues still apparent today."

The set and costumes are stark and bare, adding to the feeling of helplessness and suppression.

Dominating the center of the stage is a large curved wall with chipped paint and exposed brick. At the top of it is a small window, too high for anyone to look out. The set and costume designers succeed in creating a surrealistic setting.

To prepare themselves for the play, all the actors went through a month-long workshop sponsored by the College of Ethnic Studies. Professors from different departments at SF State and special guest speakers introduced the actors to the culture and politics of 1930s Spain and the works of Lorca, who was murdered in 1936 at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.

"The workshop gave great insight into the environment Lorca was creating in his play," Martinez said. "It was very helpful."

One of the workshop speakers was Mercedes Molina, who introduced the actors to flamenco. Molina, who has been dancing for 35 years and has worked in other productions of Lorca's work, also has a part in the play.

She plays a flamenco artist dressed in black, sitting in a small wooden chair on an extension at the front of the stage. Before each act she sings out a sad gypsy song, mirroring the tone and action about to occur on stage.

"The director wanted my character dry and raw, so it's just me up there, without any guitar accompaniment," Molina said. "This is one of my favorite Lorca plays. It has three important aspects to it -- feminism, surrealism and suppression."

"Lorca challenged the roles of women in society in this play," Martinez said.

The play runs Nov. 9-12 and 16-19. Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for the general public. All shows Thursday through Saturday start at 8 p.m. Sunday shows start at 2 p.m.

[ Golden Gater Online November 9, 1995 ]

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