THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA

Lorca's bleak masterpiece

                                                      

The very first play I auditioned for at Wesleyan was The House of Bernarda Alba, the masterpiece by the Spanish playwright and poet, Federico Garcia Lorca.  I had never heard of it as high schools and community theaters don't usually do plays as dark and tragic as this one.  Bernarda is a Spanish widow with five ugly daughters, none of whom are married.  Her plan is to marry off her eldest daughter, Angustias, to a young man of the town, Pepe el Romano.  But Pepe is a virile young man who is not interested in making a woman of almost 40 his wife.   He only has eyes for Adela, Bernarda's sensual youngest daughter.  In Spanish villages at this time young men and women were never left alone together until they married.  No woman, once a wife, ever left the house again except to go to the Catholic Church.  In the house of Bernarda Alba repression and chastity reigned supreme.  Ignoring everything she has ever been taught, young Adela enters a passionate affair with Pepe whom she loves.  When the affair is discovered, Bernarda tries to shoot Pepe el Romano and Adela hangs herself.  Her mother insists Adela be buried in white as if she is still a virgin.  Unbelievably enough I was given the plum role of Adela.  Apparently, the director recognized in me qualities I didn't know I had.  A passionate rebel willing to defy the conventions of her time was what the part called for.  Me--who felt scared most of the time?  But deep down I knew I could feel what Adela felt.  After the cast was announced I floated back to my dorm, smiling to myself.

As I grew closer to my room, I saw the door was open and I could hear one of Rosalind's friends reading aloud and other girls laughing.  I stopped in the hallway and listened as what was being read sounded familiar.  It was my diary which had been well hidden.  My stomach twisted and I was afraid I would be sick.  I would hide in the library until it was time to serve dinner.  Suddenly, there was a loud peal of laughter as a particularly intimate thought was read aloud.

No.

I entered the room and slowly looked at each of the girls lounging on the beds.  Then I approached the reader and took my diary out of her hands.  I began to rip the pages from the small book and drop them into the wastebasket.  I smiled pleasantly at all the girls and said, "Did you read the part where I wrote that you girls were shallow, malicious and not very bright?  I really think that section is my very favorite.  So amusing you know."  I dropped the torn book into the wastebasket and gave them all a dazzling smile as I walked toward the door.  Then I turned and said,

"I meant it."

Thank you, Adela.

Bernarda and her five daughters.