House of Bernarda Alba: use of performance space

Use of Performance Space in ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’

Character Positioning

Bernarda often takes a central position, asserting her dominance over her daughters, who are usually placed around her, demonstrating their subservient status.
Adela, representing rebellion and desire, often contrasts the daughter’s usual positioning by moving around freely, defying the boundaries imposed by Bernarda.
The positioning of Maids and house servants reflects their lower socio-economic status. They are often pushed to the margins of the stage, illustrating the class divide.

Symbolic Space Usage

Bernarda’s cane, used as a pointer, marks the boundaries for the youthful characters in the play. It establishes the areas of power and subjugation.
The parlor where action predominantly takes place, speaks of the characters’ suffocated lives and restrictions. The restricted space may emphasize the daughters’ inability to escape their societal and familial pressures.
The portrayal of unseen spaces, such as the stable, is a crucial element in the play. It symbolically represents male virility and forbidden sexuality, intensifying the drama.

Interactions with Scenery

The usage of doors and windows is symbolic in the play. Shut doors and windows stand for confinement and oppression, while opened ones indicate possible submission to societal norms.
Props such as the long dining table or sewing materials are used to delineate the private female space, symbolizing domesticity and Bernarda’s imposing norms.

Elements of Spanish culture

Lorca uses the confined, traditional Andalusian household layout to communicate the repressive social and cultural restrictions present in the 1930s rural Spain.
Features such as an enclosed patio or courtyard could be used as a performance space, reflecting both the physical and emotional confines of the characters’ lives.

Remember, the staging of ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ is not merely a backdrop, but a crucial player in telling the story. The use of performance space should echo the themes of the play and underpin the characters’ struggles. Each choice should be justified and contribute towards audience interpretation.