BEVERLY MANN (La Poncia) and Nancy-Grace Dersham (the maid) in a scene from Heartwood’s Production of “The House of Bernarda Alba.”
“The House of Bernarda Alba” tells the story of a cold-blooded widow and her five adult daughters on the day of the funeral of the father of the youngest four. Bernarda, having buried her second husband, continues to attempt control over her family and all they do. She forbids her 20- to 30-year-old daughters to leave their home; she considers everyone in town their social inferiors.
REVIEW They can’t even interact with nature. What are they supposed to do with their days, months — eight years they have been put into mourning after the death of the man of the house.
Each character is stuck in the expectations and claustrophobic isolation of women in Spain before World War II. The five daughters, (Mary Boothby, Elise Voigt, Katie Matzell, Rowan Carroll-Christopher and Maddy Sherrill) compose the future of the household, locked between wanting to experience life and love and the oppressive society that safeguards their reputations. Not only do they have to maneuver among themselves, but they also are reigned over by their domineering mother, Bernarda Alba (Millie Santiago).
Other women bring dramatic irony to our understanding of Bernarda Alba’s stifling commands: Margo Morrison O’Leary as the mentally troubled grandmother, Beverly Mann and Nancy- Grace Dersham as the household help, and Kim Fletcher as this production’s only visible neighbor.
Not one man appears on stage; we only hear of them within the courtyard or fields or visiting on horseback. Lorca creates a society of total repression among these women.
The open room where we view their lives has a stark beauty, with remarkable lighting design that evokes the time of day and mood.
Sound and silence bring an added aspect to the action. Boston based Flamenco guitarist, Juanito Pascual, has created a brilliant original musical score. His artistry enhances the action and juxtaposes the moments of silence, highlighting the reality of such a sequestered life. Even running water commands our attention in Bernarda Alba’s household.
Artistic director Griff Braley has gathered a talented cast who offer compelling performances, transporting us to this time and situation of oppression.
Brilliant acting can be so seamless we forget who we are as we “live” within the walls of the stage. This is the gift of theater. When it is a shared experience, woven with sensory detail that evokes the tension of the play, we can be transformed to feel as the characters, effortlessly — even unknowingly — letting go of the thin reality that separates us.
The scenes I found most compelling were those between Bernarda Alba and her servant, La Poncia (Beverly Mann). These two women have shared this household for decades but come from strikingly different classes, with conflicting perspectives. While they argue and scrape against one another, they share deep, brutally honest feelings. It is intriguing to witness their longtime familiarity and wonder how lonely they would be without one another, even with such anger.
Real anger is difficult to project; it can come off as shrill or even silly. However, Santiago, as Bernarda Alba, is believable, painfully so. We can feel her fury, her desire for control and anticipate the destruction such negative energy is brewing.
Much of our culture has tipped toward comedy, explosions or edited “reality” for entertainment. However, there is richer nourishment in well-written drama — an opportunity to reflect and deepen our understanding of life. Heartwood Theatre’s production of Federico García Lorca’s “The House of Bernarda Alba” has created such an opportunity.
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