Lorca: Four Key Plays

In addition to a substantial introduction to the life and works of Federico García Lorca—avant-garde poet, playwright, and soul of Spain's "Generation of '27"—this collection features vibrant new English translations of four of his plays. The legacy of a dramatic, religious, and social iconoclast whose death made him a martyr of the left in Civil-War Spain and who today is embraced as a gay icon shines through in Michael Kidd's stage-worthy renderings of Yerma, Blood Wedding, The House of Bernarda Alba, and a more experimental play, The Audience, a kaleidoscopic exploration of sexual identity and theater.

Reviews:

“Kidd has produced a truly brilliant translation of, and Introduction to, Lorca.
   "His Introduction is of immense value to anyone interested in Lorca. . . . Kidd lays out the Lorca territory in such clarity that one can see exactly how Lorca developed and how he 'fit' into the frightening historical circumstances of his times. Moreover, Kidd shows how Lorca developed as a playwright (and poet) in response to his personal growth in relation to his family and friends. Kidd’s writing is itself noteworthy for its simplicity, directness, and the ease with which he tells Lorca’s story. It’s not easy to make such a complex story seem to unwind effortlessly for the reader, and for that Kidd earns a special congratulations.”
   —Lee A. Jacobus, Professor Emeritus of English, University of Connecticut

"Kidd's translations are excellent. The biographical and critical material included as front matter in the volume are aimed at the English-speaking layman reader, and are appropriate for that reader, but interesting to the specialist too, as Kidd's thoughts on the texts include more reflection than is common in the scholarship on (for instance) questions of producibility, taking the plays as scripts intended to be performed, rather than only as texts to be read from a page. Kidd's book would be an ideal introduction to Lorca's theater for an English-speaking audience."
   —David W. Bird, Saint Mary's College of California, in Letras Hispanas

"Kidd’s translations are excellent, both accurate and readable, and the biographical and critical guides are useful."
  —Jonathan Mayhew, University of Kansas

About the Author:

Michael Kidd is Professor of Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies, Augsburg University.

CONTENTS:

Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction

Biographical Sketch

• 1. The Taste of Earth (1898–1909)
• 2. The Smell of Mystery (1909–1919)
• 3. Capital Gains (1919–1928)
• 4. Highs and Lows (1928–1929)
• 5. Far from Home (1929–1930)
• 6. New Hope (1930–1933)
• 7. International Celebrity (1933–1935)
• 8. Poisoned Well (1935–1936)
• 9. Return to Earth (Summer 1936)

Critical Guide

• 1. Lorca's Place in Spanish Theater
• 2. Performance History and Reception of Lorca's Plays
• 3. Signature Elements of Lorca’s Theater
• 4. The Four Plays in Brief

Translator's Note

• The Audience: Drama in Five Tableaux
• Blood Wedding: Tragedy in Three Acts and Seven Tableaux
• Yerma: Tragic Poem in Three Acts and Six Tableaux
• The House of Bernarda Alba: Drama about Women in the Villages of Spain

Appendix 1: Variations from García-Posada's Text
Appendix 2: Professional Debuts of Lorca's Plays
For Further Reading