Bernarda Alba's house

The House of Bernarda Alba is a theatrical play in three acts written in 1936 by Federico García Lorca. It could not be released or published until 1945, in Buenos Aires. Thanks to the initiative of Margarita Xirgu, she exposes the story of Bernarda Alba, who after being widowed for the second time at the age of 60, decides to live the next eight years in the most rigorous mourning. Lorca describes the Deep Spain of the early XX century, characterized by a very violent traditional society in which the role played by women is secondary. Other prominent traits are religious fanaticism and fear of discovering intimacy. With Bernarda live her five daughters (Angustias, Magdalena, Amelia, Martirio and Adela), her mother and her two maids. Among the latter is Poncia, a maid who has lived thirty years in the service of the old woman.

Dramatic resources

The critique proposes some, more or less clichés:

• Lorca manages the time parameter by associating it to the stage space; as the narrative progresses, the action enters the house and symbolically into the soul of its inhabitants.
• The "poetization of everyday language" from the saying.
• The coastal tone of history, whose realism, altered by the symbolic dimension of the argument, is defined as "poetic realism".
• Photo intent (such as "a photographic documentary", in the words of the author himself) and chromatic symbolism between mourning and the purity of honor, in contrast to the elementary rural decoration, whose simplicity and monotony provoke a climax of imprisonment in a prison or a 'maniculum'.

Very white room inside the house of Bernarda. Thick walls...

(presentation of Act I)

Theme and ideology

• Appearances: in all the work Bernarda expresses his desire that all the problems remain inside the house without passing through the walls of this. Thus the author uses the metaphor of the color of the walls of the house that is named in the introduction to each act. Showing himself white in the first, white in the second act as he enters the house, and finally white slightly blue in the inner courtyard of this.
• Hate: the sisters, without wanting or looking for him, are locked in a house for eight years of an exaggerated mourning. Everyone sees how the only one who is saved from this cruel fate is Angustias, as it is the daughter of Bernard's first husband who also takes the best galan of the people. With what hatred among the sisters increases as the work progresses.
• Envy: Angustias is the best match of Bernarda's house, so Pepe the Roman decides to cut it. Adela considers that the best qualified both physically and by age is her, but even so Pepe the Roman intends to stay with the richest. Both Martirio and Adela envy what is happening to their sister. Martirio sees how in turn Adela is at night with Pepe, so little by little a great conflict between them culminates in final betrayal.
• The implicit power of the intrinsic and extrinsic hierarchy: Above all is Bernarda Alba. After it are the five sisters and within this same group there is another hierarchical staircase. Angustias, the older sister, is the heir to the fortunes of Bernard's first husband and is therefore the richest and most powerful of the sisters, followed by Maria Josefa, the mother of Bernarda. Finally there are the employees of the house, who belong to the lower social class and serve all the inhabitants of that place. This chain of powers is extrinsic, since the position that is occupied is granted as a result of the quantity of goods and the abundance of capital that the character has. The other chain of powers is that in which the position of the character is independent of the possessions of this. This is reflected when Bernarda is absent on stage, as the characters present behave as equals regardless of their social rank. On these occasions, the positions in this hierarchy are defined by the power each character has over others. For example in the second act, La Poncia shows herself superior to the sisters when she shows that she has eyes all over the city by warning Adela: "Don't distrust Adela, don't distrust me. Because I can give voices, light lights and make them touch the bells." As this proves, La Poncia is raised and friend of Bernarda.
• Death.
• The money. In the work, this element fulfills a role of social and economic status that Bernarda has in front of his neighbors or the people (it is worth noting that Bernarda cares much about the thought of others). Other phases in which money exists are in the marriage that Angustia had with Pepe the Roman, since – at that time – the woman could not handle an inheritance if she did not have a husband or man in charge, which allows Angustias to inherit the money that was her father's, becoming the first sister to marry although not for love but for economic convenience.
• The lust.
• What you say and what you shut up. The work shows the manipulation of what is said and what is silent, bending the character and attitudes of Bernard's daughters, forcing them to repress their desires, this is seen in the following quote: "Leave your sister in peace and if Pepe the Roman likes you will endure" (La Poncia). All the girls hide their truths, such as the older sister, Angustias, that with only the escape of the house is able to marry a man who does not love and who only cares about her for her money. Also, the younger sister, Adela, shows an insatiable thirst for freedom and rebellion against her mother, becoming in a hidden love affair with the fiancé of her older sister, she herself manifests it in the next parliament (...) "beside my mother I would jump to turn off this fire that I have raised by legs and mouth." All the girls talk to please Bernarda and make their living in the less tortuous house, they say the right and the necessary and the slightest sense of contradiction against their mother, they are censored.
• The Role of Women. The Role of Women in The House of Bernarda Alba It's the weak sex since it is believed that every woman needs a man in her life to be completely a woman. This topic is reflected in the case of Angustias and the pressure the young woman felt by her mother and society about marriage with Pepe the Roman.
• The struggle for freedom. This work reflects the situation of women in the centuryXX.. Immersed in a patriarchal society, they cannot be free to make their own decisions, as they must comply with established social mandates. This repression is represented on the stage of the work, the house. The work maintains the structure of the inner and outer world. The insider symbolizes the struggle between oppression and freedom (where Bernard is representing absolute power and silence). And the outsider is made up of everything outside the house. Within the house, none of the daughters are free, but there are two characters who are a rupture and defy the power of Bernarda: Maria Josefa and Adela. The first represents that person full of experiences, who wants to be free to escape from the house. For his part, Adela represents the voice of the youth, which goes against the established roles and at all times stands firm in the face of the power of his mother, therefore also represents a rupture.
• Oppression. In The House of Bernarda Alba we see the oppression that exists towards women, on the part of men and society. In the first case, women must depend on men and do whatever they want, whenever they want. While in the second case, we see how the rest of society judges them for not marrying and even awarding them tasks such as washing, sewing, knitting, cleaning and cooking for the simple fact of being women. In the work it is appreciated that when Bernard's second husband died, she takes that authoritarian, controlling and oppressive role for her daughters because she begins to deprive them of their freedom and the right they have, as people, to decide for themselves; a clear example is when she locks them in her house, to follow a rigorous mourning for the death of her spouse against the will of the five daughters.

Symbols

• Nature (water, pearls, stars and animals): be a reference to sexual desire (see suffocation: that is why Bernard wants to close windows and Adela/Martirio have thirst. The horse when he coces is thirsty). The people have no rivers (equal to life) but yes wells (dark death symbols). References are contrasted to the stagnant/venenated water of the wells with the clean and infinite water of the sea (with which it is associated with Maria Josefa). The pearls of the Angustia ring and their marriage are a way of escaping from that detention. The horse represents the oppression of sexual energy.
• The moon: it is given by the fact that Adela loves the moon and stars, symbol of eroticism, which tells us of his passion with Pepe the Roman and his desire to possess it. Adela speaks of how beautiful the night is with the moon and its stars, which reveals his desire for freedom.
• White-black (it is reinforced by the idea of the photographic documentary): white for the general positive (life, freedom, sexuality) while black refers to death (Adela dies at night) and religious fanaticism (light).
• The white color: the white of the walls of the house goes off as the plot passes from very white (Act 1) to "lightly blue" (Act 3), which symbolizes the loss of purity (the subject that obsesses Bernarda) throughout the work.
• The green color: symbolizes the hope and rebellion of Adela.
• The prevailing heat: it helps to intensify the dramatic tension and to shape the sad character of the inhabitants of the dry lands against that of the inhabitants of the wet lands. It is also associated with the fairy and fatality of the characters.
• The cane: symbolizes the tyrannical power of Bernarda. When Adela breaks it, the tyranny ends, it shows Adela's rebellion. The cane is also a phallic symbol for the shape it has. Third, the cane symbolizes Bernarda's blindness to the passions of his daughters.
• The names of the characters: Bernarda (masculine and means “with bear-force”), Angustias (oppressed and depressed), Martirio (tormented), Magdalena (biblical name and as the saying of weeping like a Magdalena), Amelia (signifies “without honey”), Adela (signifies of “noble nature” although it can also proceed from the verb “develop”), María Josefa (Mary means the mother of Jesus and José means the father of Jesus; symbolizes the age of the character), and La Poncia (name related to "Poncio Pilates", a biblical character who sent to crucify Jesus).

Literary Resources

Lorca meticulously chose the names of the characters in the work, for their implicit symbolism and their evocative power:

• Bernarda: He is a strong person in the work. When she enters the work she screams, “Silence!” and “ Less shouts and more works,” (341). The way she always locks her daughters in the house and putting Maria Josefa in a closed room shows her dictatorial style.

• Angustias: When Angustias is talking to the Ponce and her sisters says, “Fortunately, I will soon come out of this hell,” (351). It is obvious that she is not happy in Bernarda Alba's house, where she has lived for more than half of her life. She wants to give Pepe the Roman her hand to escape the house. All the sisters and the Ponce believe Pepe wants Angustias only for their money and nothing else. Magdalena says: “She is old, sick and always has been the one who has had the least merit of all of us,” (348).

• Martirio: At the end of the work, Martirio is next to Bernarda when he is attacking Pepe's life with a shotgun. Then Martirio tells Adela: “Pepe the Roman is over,” (372). However, it is not true that he died. She just wants to cause her sister devastation because she loves Pepe a lot. She never wants to see Adela with him. In fact, it expresses the intense hatred that Adela feels: “I had dumped a river of blood on his head,” (372). In the second act of the work, Martirio steals the portrait of Pepe that Angustia has and puts it between the sheets of his bed. After Angustias said he does not have it, the Poncia finds the portrait and informs Bernarda. Martirio responds that it is only a joke to Angustias. He only says this lie to protect himself from the truth of his feelings for Pepe.

• Magdalena: This name indicates that she is a sad, depressed person who cries a lot. When Magdalena is talking about the wedding with her family, she says: “I prefer to take bags to the mill. All but be seated days and days within this dark room,” (343). It is obvious that she does not have a happy life, especially when she says “God damn women!” (343). She suffers a lot for her gender. Magdalena is the most devastated person by her father's death. In the words of the Ponce: “She was the only one who wanted the father.” (339). The Ponce also reveals: “In the first responsibility the Magdalene fainted.” (339). When Magdalena enters the work, she's crying a lot and Bernard says, "Magdalena, don't cry. If you want to cry, you get under the bed.” (341).

Lorca handles in this symbolic context Roman names associated with kindness, like Amelia, or noble character, like Adela; or that of Prudence (one of the four cardinal virtues); or La Poncia (related to Pontius Pilate); Pepe el Romano (which some sources relate in extremis to the name of Romilla, a district of the municipality of Chauchina).

Outstanding Performances

In Spain

• Teatro de Ensayo La CarátulaMadrid, 1950. (Estreno en España).
  • Performers: Amparo Reyes (Bernarda Alba), Antonia Herrero (Poncia), Lola Gaos, Maruja Recio, Berta Riaza, Carmen Ferreira, María Luisa Romero, Consuelo Muñoz.
• Goya TheatreMadrid, 1964.
  • Direction: Juan Antonio Bardem.
  • Performers: Candida Losada (Bernarda Alba), Julieta Serrano, Alicia Hermida, María Francés, María Bassó.
• Teatro Zorrilla, Valladolid, 1976.
  • Performers: Ismael Merlo (Bernarda Alba), María José Goyanes (Adela), Carmen Carbonell, Encarna Paso, Julieta Serrano, Mercedes Sampietro, Asunción Sancho (Angustias).
• Teatro Estudio AlarcónGrenada, 1978.
  • Direction: Manuel de Pinedo.
  • Performers: Conchi Barrales (Bernarda Alba), María Aurora Serraro (Poncia), María Luisa Torres, Lucía Sánchez Prieto.
• Teatro EspañolMadrid, 1984.
  • Direction: José Carlos Plaza.
  • Performers: Berta Riaza (Bernarda Alba), Mari Carmen Prendes (Ponce), Aurora Redondo (María Josefa), Ana Belén, Pilar Bayona, Enriqueta Carballeira, Mar Díez, Paca Ojea.
• Teatro María Guerrero Madrid, 1992.
  • Performers: María Alfonsa Rosso (Bernarda Alba), María Galiana (Ponce), Asunción Sánchez, Matilde Flores, María Jesús Lara, Isabel de Osca.
• Teatro María Guerrero Madrid, 1998.
  • Performers: María Jesús Valdés (Bernarda Alba), Julieta Serrano (Ponce), Gloria Muñoz (Angustias).
• Centro Cultural de la Villa , Madrid, 2005.
  • Performers: Margarita Lozano (Bernarda Alba), María Galiana (Poncia), Adriana Ugarte (Adela), Nuria Gallardo, Ruth Gabriel, Mónica Cano, Aurora Sánchez. Address: Amelia Ochandiano.
• Spanish Naves, Madrid, 2009.
  • Performers: Nuria Espert (Bernarda Alba), Rosa María Sardà (Poncia), Rosa Vila, Marta Marco, Nora Navas, Rebeca Valls, Almudena Navas. Address: Lluis Pasqual.
• Teatro Español, Madrid, 2010.
  • Performers: the group of women of El Vacie (the oldest chabolist town in Europe, in Seville) of Gypsy and Agrafas ethnicity, led by Pepa Gamboa, with the production of the TNT Center of Seville. Amount that gained special recognition within and outside the European theatrical sphere for its work in social inclusion.
• Teatro Tribueñe , Madrid (2010-2017)
  • Performers : Carmen Rodríguez de la Pica (Bernarda Alba), Chelo Vivares (Poncia), Badia Albayati / Nereida San Martín / Natalia de Azcárate (Adela), Alejandra Navarro / Inma Barrionuevo / Catarina de Azcárate) (Angustias), Matilde Juárez (Martirio), Catarina de Azcárate / Rocío Osuna / Virginia Hernández (Magdale)
• Teatro Español, Madrid, 2022.
  • Direction: José Carlos Plaza.
  • Performers: Consuelo Trujillo (Bernarda Alba), Rosario Pardo (Poncia), Ana Fernández, Ruth Gabriel, Mona Martínez, Zaira Montes, Montse Peidro, Marina Salas.

In Latin America

• Theater AvenueBuenos Aires (World Federation, March 8, 1945).
  • Performers: Margarita Xirgu (Bernarda Alba), Antonia Herrero (Ponce), Teresa Serrador, Carmen Caballero, Teresa Pradas, Pilar Muñoz, Isabel Pradas, María Gámez, Luz Barrialo, Emilia Milan, Susana Canales.

• Teatro Rafael SolanaMexico (2002).
  • Performers: Ofelia Guilmain (Bernarda Alba), Laura Zapata (Martirio), Olivia Bucio (Magdalena), Azela Robinson (Angustias), Angélica Vale (Adela), María Rubio (Poncia), Aurora Molina (María Josefa).

In other languages

• Theatre of the Champs-ElyséesParis, 1945. La Maison de Bernarda Alba.
  • Direction: Maurice Jacquemont.
  • Performers: Madeleine Barbulée, Marthe Mellot, Silvia MonfortMagdalenaLiliane Maigné, Odette Talazac, Germaine Michel, Jeanne Hardeyn, Annie Cariel.

• TheatreStockholm, 1947. Bernardas hus.
  • Direction: Alf Sjöberg.
  • Performers: Mai Zetterling, Mimi Pollak.

• Nuovo TheatreMilan, 1947. The house of Bernarda Alba.
  • Direction: Vito Pandolfi.
  • Performers: Wanda Capodaglio (Bernarda), Bella Starace Sainati (Ponce), Anna Butti (María Josefa), Edda Albertini (Adela), Cesarina Ghiraldi (Martirio).
• StadttheaterBasel, 1947. Bernarda Albas Haus.
  • Performers: Brigitte HorneyMagdalena).

• TheatreParis, 1948. La Maison de Bernarda Alba.
  • Direction: Roger Leenhardt.
  • Performers: Maria Casares.

• Theatre ANTA Playhouse, Broadway, New York, 1951. The House of Bernarda Alba.
  • Direction: Boris Tumarin.
  • Performers: Katina Paxinou (Bernarda Alba), Ruth Saville (Ponce), Ruth Ford, Helen Craig, Mary Welch.

• Ambigu-Comique Theatre Paris, 1957. La Maison de Bernarda Alba.
  • Direction: Maurice Jacquemont.
  • Performers: Tania Balachova (Bernarda), Odile Mallet.

• Théâtre RécamierParis, 1966. La Maison de Bernarda Alba.
  • Direction: Jacques Mauclair.
  • Performers: Germaine Montero, Arlette Thomas, Nicole Desailly, Hélène Tossy, Julia Dancourt.

• Odeon TheatreParis, 1974. La Maison de Bernarda Alba.
  • Direction: Robert Hossein.
  • Performers: Isabelle Adjani (Adela).

• Lyric Theatre HammersmithLondon, 1986. The House of Bernarda Alba.
  • Direction: Nuria Espert.
  • Performers: Glenda Jackson (Bernarda Alba), Joan Plowright (Ponce), Patricia Hayes...

• TheatreMorocco, Darija, Moroccan dialect, 2004. Bnat Lalla Mennana.
  • Direction: Yassine Fennan.
  • Performers: Saâdia Azgoun (Bernarda Alba - Lalla Mennana), Nora Skali (Bahía), Samia Akariou (Chama), Saâdia Ladib (Rhimou), Hind Saâdidi (Saadia, the maid) Nadia El Alami (Mary).

• Royal National TheatreLondon, 2005. The House of Bernarda Alba.
  • Adaptation: David Hare.
  • Performers: Penelope Wilton (Bernarda Alba), Deborah Findlay (Ponce), Cherry Morris (Maria JosefaSally Hawkins, Sandy McDade (Angustias).

• Theatre FestivalNaples, 2011. The house of Bernarda Alba.
  • Direction: Lluís Pasqual.
  • Performers: Lina Sastri (Bernarda), Anna Malvica (Ponce).

Versions

In cinema

• 1982, The House of Bernarda AlbaMexico. Movie by Gustavo Alatriste. Performers: Amparo Rivelles (Bernarda Alba), Magda Guzmán, Rosenda Monteros, Marta Zamora, Alicia Montoya, Isabela Corona.
• 1987, The House of Bernarda Alba. Mario Camus film. Intérpretes: Irene Gutiérrez Caba (Bernarda Alba), Florinda Chico (Poncia), Ana Belén, Vicky Peña, Enriqueta Carballeira, Mercedes Lezcano. It was shot in 1982/1987.
• 1991, The house of Bernarda Alba. Performers: Glenda Jackson (Bernarda Alba), Joan Plowright (Ponce). Address:Nuria Espert.
• 1991, Rukmavati ki Haveli. Film by Govind Nihlani (India).

On TV

• In Italy, RAI, 1971. Direction: Daniele D'Anza. Intérpretes: Laura Belli, Giuliana Calandra, Nora Ricci, Cesarina Gheraldi, Wanda Benedetti, Giulia Lazzarini.
• In Mexico, 1974. Intérpretes: Ofelia Guilmain (Bernarda Alba), Ofelia Medina (Adela), Diana Bracho (Amelia), Rosenda Monteros (Angustias), Lucia Guilmáin (Martirio), Beatriz Sheridan, Ada Carrasco (María Josefa).
• In Chile, 1999, Esaarre (telenovela). Address:María Eugenia Rencoret. Telenovela created by Hugo Morales and influenced by "La Casa de Bernarda Alba".

In theater

• There is a reduced version The House of Bernarda AlbaFor four actresses. The work lasts about 55 minutes and maintains great fidelity to the original text of Lorca. The author of this version is the Spanish playwright Marc Egea.

In opera

• "Bernarda Albas Haus" (2000). Book based on the original work in German translation. Music by Aribert Reimann.
• "The House of Bernarda Alba" (2007). Julio Ramos book, based on the original work. Music by Miquel Ortega
• "The house of Bernada Alba" (2019) Candad Svich libretto based on the original work in English translation. Music by Griffin Candey,

Inspiration

García Lorca was inspired by Agustina González López, also from Granada, "la Zapatera" for the character of Amelia in this play, since she called herself by this name, which she also used to sign her writings. He also inspired the main character in another of his plays, The Miraculous Shoemaker .