The House of Bernarda Alba - Acting Edition [Paperback]

in a new version by Emily Mann Federico GarcĂ­a Lorca (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

This is a new translation of Federico Garcia Lorca's masterpiece by award-winning playwright Jo Clifford ("The Tree of Knowledge", "Every One", "Yerma, Blood Wedding"). When Bernarda's husband dies, she locks all the doors and windows. She tells her grown-up daughters to sew and be silent. 'There are eight years of mourning ahead of us. While it lasts not even the wind will get into this house'. But locks can't hold back the growing tide of desire...Nick Hern Books' are pocket-sized Drama Classics: 'the world's great plays at a great little price'.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Best of all is Ann Mitchell's superb Bernarda Alba, who presides over her daughters like a malevolent mother superior. As polished and shiney as her own furniture, a husk of a woman who puts pride and honour before love and generosity, and who is so out of touch with her own heart that she ignores all the signs of the coming disaster, content to rule her house with her eyes wide shut.' Lyn Gardner, Gaurdian, 30 April 2009 It is a play about what happens to hearts when they are walled up and denied the opportunity to sweel with love and happiness' Lyn Gardener, Gaurdian, 30 April 2009 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA (1898 - 1936) is also the author of YERMA and BLOOD WEDDING, among many other plays. He also wrote some of the best poetry in Spanish of the 20th century. He was assassinated during the Spanish Civil War. JO CLIFFORD is Professor of Theatre and Bill Findlay Fellow of Stage Translation at Queen Margaret's University College Edinburgh, and Associate Playwright of the Playwrights' Studio, Scotland. Her plays include original works EVERY ONE, LOSING VENICE and LIGHT IN THE VILLAGE, and adaptations of YERMA, BLOOD WEDDING, FAUST and CELESTINA all published by NHB. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Dramatists Play Service, Inc. (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822216531
• ISBN-13: 978-0822216537
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Lorca's Masterpiece, February 10, 2010

By 

Bill R. Moore (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The House of Bernarda Alba (Oberon Modern Plays) (Paperback)

The House of Bernarda Alba is by far Lorca's strongest play - probably the twentieth century's greatest Spanish drama and one of the ten or twenty greatest of the century overall. Lorca unfortunately did not live to complete his next play, but this is in many ways his drama's culmination, the masterwork he had been working for his whole career. He has skillfully pared back poetic imagery to the point where The House strongly resembles most modern prose drama, but it is not a step back. The occasional lyricism is so well-done and appropriate that, if anything, this is the seamless welding he had been working for from the start. He has also pared back elsewhere; the play is a masterpiece of concision in several ways. Just as Yerma followed naturally from Blood Wedding in focusing near-exhaustively on a single female character, here all characters are female. One male is very important to the plot but never appears - a decision that works better than the more obvious route could have. Many women's/feminist issues again inevitably arise, but this has far wider appeal. Issues of family, class, marriage, etc. resonate powerfully across cultures and time, raising Lorca above the "Spanish" category in which it is often so easy to put him. The plot is again nothing revolutionary, but execution is masterful. Various emotions reach almost unbearable peaks throughout, and Lorca's deft hand with timing and suspense is at full throttle. Symbolism has also been pared down, at least as essential to the plot as ever but far more subtle. It is skillfully embedded into the play's very fabric rather than being thrust forward as in Blood, making a work that, like all great works, can be appreciated on several levels.

This brings up the main unavoidable crux in reading Lorca - he is not an easy read. Even those eager to enjoy and/or appreciate him may well have significant difficulty. Matters of taste aside, he uses symbolism so heavily that anyone not paying close attention will miss essential points - even basic plot elements. This and frequent lyrical deployment set him apart from nearly all modern drama; those who do not know what to expect may be taken by inauspicious surprise. These are problems even for those who read Lorca in Spanish, but translation of course compounds them. Since Lorca works his vast knowledge of Spanish culture into his work so thoroughly, those unfamiliar with it will miss much - not only symbolism but even basic plot points. Finally, as one might expect from a writer who was a director and actor as well as writer, Lorca put more emphasis on physical elements than the vast majority of playwrights. These are nearly impossible to reproduce on paper, and he indeed does not even try; stage directions are minimal, and almost no description is given. This was of course not a problem when he was alive, for he could add them himself in production, but readers are now left significantly hanging. There is no solution other than seeing the plays performed, and those who wish only to read him - or are unable to attend a play - must put up with the deficiency. It fortunately is not fatal; there is still much to enjoy and appreciate, even if we are all too aware that we are missing something.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Book on Spanish Novel (Translated), March 17, 2006

By 

DonH "DonH" (FRANKLIN, KY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The House of Bernarda Alba - Acting Edition (Paperback)

Provided me with the help I needed in order to understand some of the archaic language used during that period.

4 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars house of bernarda alba, January 24, 2001

By 

Davinia Turner (Cumbria, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House of Bernarda Alba (Nick Hern Books) (Paperback)

I have played Poncia in this play and I really enjoyed it. We only did a short part out of it but I wanted to do more. I recommend reading this book but if you can perform it!