The Public and Play Without a Title: Two Posthumous Plays

Rating:
Summary: Two surreal journeys
Review: "The Public & Play Without a Title" is a pairing of two theater pieces by Federico Garcia Lorca. The plays are translated into English by Carlos Bauer. The informative introduction puts these pieces into some context.

The first of the two pieces, "The Public," is full of surreal imagery--the stage instructions call for strange sets and costumes, and the play is full of weird dialogue. One interesting part of this piece is a dialogue between "Character in Bells" and "Character in Vine Leaves." This piece is a sort of metadrama. The Director is a character. Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is mentioned, and Juliet even becomes a character in this play. This piece certainly has some colorful and imaginative elements, but overall I found it impenetrable.

I found "Play Without a Title" more satisfying as a reading text. This piece involves a play-within-a-play. The author addresses the audience directly and even argues with spectators. Once again, Shakespeare's work plays a significant role within the text. The specter of violence haunts this piece, which reminds me somewhat of Luigi Pirandello's "Six Characters in Search of an Author."

Overall, I found this pair of plays to be uneven but thought-provoking. Definitely worth reading for those interested in 20th century drama.

Rating:
Summary: Two surreal journeys
Review: "The Public & Play Without a Title" is a pairing of two theater pieces by Federico Garcia Lorca. The plays are translated into English by Carlos Bauer. The informative introduction puts these pieces into some context.

The first of the two pieces, "The Public," is full of surreal imagery--the stage instructions call for strange sets and costumes, and the play is full of weird dialogue. One interesting part of this piece is a dialogue between "Character in Bells" and "Character in Vine Leaves." This piece is a sort of metadrama. The Director is a character. Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is mentioned, and Juliet even becomes a character in this play. This piece certainly has some colorful and imaginative elements, but overall I found it impenetrable.

I found "Play Without a Title" more satisfying as a reading text. This piece involves a play-within-a-play. The author addresses the audience directly and even argues with spectators. Once again, Shakespeare's work plays a significant role within the text. The specter of violence haunts this piece, which reminds me somewhat of Luigi Pirandello's "Six Characters in Search of an Author."

Overall, I found this pair of plays to be uneven but thought-provoking. Definitely worth reading for those interested in 20th century drama.