Director Ryan Clark says that the magic of live theater is that anything can happen.
The Theatre and Media Performance (TMP) Department’s performance of “The House of Bernarda Alba” this weekend wowed audiences.
Scholars attended an early preview of the production Wednesday night, which included a Q&A session with Clark and the cast after the show.
“The House of Bernarda Alba” was the final work written by Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca before his assassination in 1936 at age 38. Lorca never saw his performance, as the play was published and produced after his death.When Lorca was writing “The House of Bernarda Alba,” his home country was in the Spanish Civil War, torn between the ideas of nationalism and control versus freedom and independence. These themes radiate into his final work.
“The House of Bernarda Alba” covers themes of sexuality, independence, religion, control, gender roles and class. Even though the production was written well over 90 years ago, the themes resonate with a modern audience.
Director Ryan Clark said that this production has been one of his “bucket-list” productions during the Q&A session. He said that he likes to direct these abstract productions that are open to interpretations, and that people need to be more aware of the oppressions that people face.
With a beautiful set, dramatic lighting, flawless transitions and a wonderful cast, TMP’s production of “The House of Bernarda Alba” should not be missed. The performance is split into three acts that tell the story of Bernarda Alba’s dysfunctional household as her daughters begin to fall in love with the oldest sister’s fiancé.
Third-year TMP major Kyla Johnson stars in the lead role of Bernarda, a tyrant of a mother who shelters her five adult daughters. Bernarda’s authoritative style of mothering has resulted in her children desperate for liberation from their mother.
Johnson’s depiction of Bernarda is bone-chilling, and the audience was struck with awe at her ruthlessness and her coldness. Bernarda rules her house with an iron fist and a wooden cane, stomping out any thoughts of romance from her daughters and forcing them into strict gender roles and class expectations.
The performance left me considering the double standards of men’s sexuality when compared to women’s, the purity culture surrounding women’s bodies, the idea of saving face and protecting a family’s reputation and the shame that comes with embracing one’s sexuality.
One cannot help but apply this performance to our modern landscape.
In this production, we see a village woman, played by second-year Fashion Design major Michelle-Valentina Medina, stoned to death for having a child out of wedlock and killing her child in shame. Even in our 21st century, some women globally abandon the children they have out of wedlock, out of fear of facing a similar fate.
“The House of Bernarda Alba” is a beautifully performed work of art that challenges the audience’s perceptions of feminism, and depicts that often, women are also responsible for upholding patriarchal and classist structures.
This semester’s production left me in awe. TMP is stepping it up, year after year, so go to the theater. Experience this unforgettable story, and see these beautiful performers doing what they do best.
As Ryan Clark once said, “Support the arts!”
For more information about Stevenson’s theater program, follow their Instagram, @tmp_stevenson.
