In these three plays, Garc穩a Lorca's acknowledged masterpieces, he searched for a contemporary mode of tragedy and reminded his audience that dramatic poetry-or poetic drama-depends less on formal convention that on an elemental, radical outlook on human life. His images are beautiful and exact, but until now no translator had ever been able to make his characters speak unaffectedly on the American stage. Michael Dewell of the National Repertory Theatre and Carmen Zapata of the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts have created these versions expressly for the stage. The result, both performable and readable, has been thoroughly revised for this edition, which is introduced by Christopher Maurer, general editor of the Complete Poetical Works of Garc穩a Lorca.
Federico García Lorca, born in Granada in 1898, is widely seen as Spain's greatest modern poet. Among his best-known books are The Divan at Tamarit, Poet in New York, and The Gypsy Ballads. He was murdered by Franco's soldiers in 1936.
Christopher Maurer, the editor of García Lorca's Selected Verse, Poet in New York, and other works, is the author of numerous books and articles on Spanish poetry. He is head of the Department of Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Michael Dewell, a graduate of Yale University and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, was until his death in 1994 the president of the National Repertory Theatre Foundation, for which he produced a wide range of works, from Euripides to Arthur Miller. NRT has toured the United States, played on Broadway, and won many awards, including a special Tony for distinguished contribution to the American theater. Dewell also wrote many articles on theater.
Carmen Zapata is president of the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, a Hispanic-American theater in Los Angeles, which has played on tour throughout the United States and at theater festivals in Colombia, Spain, and Mexico. She has produced more than sixty plays for BFA, in English and in Spanish. Most widely known as a leading actress in American films and television, she was knighted by King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1990 and received California's Governor's Award for Achievement in the Arts in 1991.
Christopher Maurer, the editor of García Lorca's Selected Verse, Poet in New York, and other works, is the author of numerous books and articles on Spanish poetry. He is head of the Department of Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Michael Dewell, a graduate of Yale University and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, was until his death in 1994 the president of the National Repertory Theatre Foundation, for which he produced a wide range of works, from Euripides to Arthur Miller. NRT has toured the United States, played on Broadway, and won many awards, including a special Tony for distinguished contribution to the American theater. Dewell also wrote many articles on theater.
Carmen Zapata is president of the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, a Hispanic-American theater in Los Angeles, which has played on tour throughout the United States and at theater festivals in Colombia, Spain, and Mexico. She has produced more than sixty plays for BFA, in English and in Spanish. Most widely known as a leading actress in American films and television, she was knighted by King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1990 and received California's Governor's Award for Achievement in the Arts in 1991.
In these three plays, García Lorca's acknowledged masterpieces, he searched for a contemporary mode of tragedy and reminded his audience that dramatic poetryor poetic dramadepends less on formal convention that on an elemental, radical outlook on human life. His images are beautiful and exact, but until now no translator had ever been able to make his characters speak unaffectedly on the American stage. Michael Dewell of the National Repertory Theatre and Carmen Zapata of the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts have created these versions expressly for the stage. The result, both performable and readable, has been thoroughly revised for this edition, which is introduced by Christopher Maurer, general editor of the Complete Poetical Works of García Lorca.
"Nimble and wise . . . a fresh, flowering translation."Robert Kohler, Los Angeles Times