A Spanish Tragedy at the Agassiz

It’s a tale as old as time: two households, both alike in dignity. From “Romeo and Juliet” to “West Side Story,” forbidden love has been a staple in the theater. But how often does Harvard hear that tale told in Spanish?

In a break with tradition, the newly formed student group “Harvard College TEATRO!” debuted a production “Bodas de Sangre” by Federico García Lorca in the original Spanish in the Agassiz Theatre last night. “Bodas de Sangre” (which translates to “Blood Wedding”), the first Spanish-language play presented by a Harvard student group, runs through tomorrow night.

Teatro was formed in March 2007 with the goal of bringing Spanish-language theater to Harvard. “Bodas de Sangre” is the group’s first full-length production.

Julie Ann Crommett ’08, one of the founders of Teatro and the producer of “Bodas,” frames the group’s role in cultural terms.

“I think that for the first time [at Harvard], people of Latino or Hispanic heritage can see the best and most famous works from authors of their own heritage,” she says.

Written in 1932, “Bodas” opens on the eve of a wedding when the bride-to-be—referred to only as the novia—leaves her fiancée, the novio, to return to the arms of her former lover Leonardo. The novia’s mother is furious since their family is involved in a feud with Leonardo’s. She convinces the townspeople to separate the lovers, and in the shocking wake of the battle that results, Lorca creates a world of great complexity and deep emotion.

By rejecting translations, the Agassiz production of Teatro hopes to retain all of Lorca’s complexity and emotion. “We wanted to do it in Spanish because as good as translations can be, the original language is the author’s own words,” said director Christopher N. Hanley ’07-08. “In translations you’re always going to lose some part of the author’s vision.”

To fully preserve that vision, the play will not have any English-language aids, including captions. Before attending, the audience should brush up on their Spanish; during the performance, viewers can also rely on stage action.

“I think [the viewers are] going to pay a lot more attention to the sounds, the actions, the expressions of the performers, which in some sense adds more to the theatrical experience because people will be seeing all manners of the performance and not just being listening to it,” said Hanley. “They really will be forced to witness the story.”

Putting on the Spanish play in an English-speaking community has presented many obstacles. “I think it’s a challenge for the students, and it’s a challenge for the audience,” said Verónica Rodriguez Ballesteros, a graduate student in the Romance Languages and Literatures department, who aided the members of Teatro with mounting the production. “I admire this group of students who have dared to delve into Lorca’s universe, which is so complex and so intense.”

The first obstacle Teatro faced was casting. “Automatically, you limit your talent pool,” said Hanley. “There is a good third of the cast for whom Spanish is an absolute second language. Their progress and talent have been amazing.”

The actors said that it is challenging to play a role in a foreign language.

“The process of how you think about forming a character is totally different because you’re doing it through a completely different artistic lens,” said actor Matt S. Blumenthal ’08, a former Crimson staff writer.

While speaking in a foreign language can be difficult, it can also be advantageous. “Not being a native speaker can let you get into character easier because the language itself is not yours,” said actor Gabriela B. Tantillo ’09, who plays the Madre.

“I think that if a group of students dare to put on a play in Spanish then maybe other groups of students will follow,” said Rodriguez Ballesteros. “It can encourage students to try to put on plays in their original language. It’s a way to get to know new authors and new texts.”