Dramaturgy
A Dramaturg is a literary editor on the staff of a theater who consults with authors and edits texts. When designing a scene from Blood Wedding, we were required to write a one page research document on the history of the Spanish Civil War, Andalucia in the 1930s, and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca. The paper that my partner and I wrote together is below.
*Also, click here to view a mindmap that displays all of our thoughts on the scene, as well as symbolism, themes, and ideas present.
The Spanish Civil War, Andalucia, and Federico Garcia Lorca
The Spanish Civil War lasted from 1936-1939 and was a result of the economic decline and an unstable government after the Great Depression. Some of the most influential generals of the Spanish Army, led by Francisco Franco, rebelled and rose against the Republican government. The country was divided into the Republicans, which consisted of workers, peasants, trade unions, the Spanish government, communists, and anarchists, and the Nationalists, who were rebellious factions of the Spanish army, industry, landowners, the middle class, and the Catholic Church. There was plenty of international intervention during the Spanish Civil War, since different parts of the world would benefit from Spain being either Nationalist or Republican. During this time, Hitler and Mussolini, who both wanted Spain to fall into the hands of Nationalists, sent thousands of troops and weapons to aid Spanish Nationalist forces. France and Britain attempted to stop all international aid to Spain, but they could not stop Germany and Italy from sending weapons and supplies to Nationalists. Others from Europe and America travelled to Spain to fight against Fascism, forming an army that consisted of about 15,000 people that hoped to uphold democracy. The Nationalists proved more organized and better prepared, and Francisco's victory began a dictatorship that lasted 40 years in Spain, which proved to be difficult on the country and the people.
Andalucia is a community located in Southern Spain. It was involved greatly in the Spanish Civil War, particularly when it first began. Franco sent many of his troops to Andalucia, and set up his headquarters in Seville (Andalucia’s capital). As Franco moved through Spain and took control of different areas, Andalucia suffered greatly. Since the war followed the Great Depression, much of the country was still poverty-ridden and unstable. Many families lived in small, one room homes with no electricity or water, and when the war came, many were not prepared for the amount devastation that would occur.
Federico Garcia Lorca was originally from a farm near Granada in Fuente Vaqueros, Spain. He was born on June 5, 1898 and died August 19, 1936. Lorca had a brother named Francisco Garcia Lorca. Lorca originally was going to have a career in law, but he soon realized his passion for writing. As his career in writing advanced and he became well known, he began to travel the world to share his poetry. Much of García Lorca’s work was infused with popular themes such as Flamenco and Gypsy culture. Before he died in 1936, he went back to Spain and co-founded La Barraca, a traveling theater company that performed both Spanish classics and Lorca’s original plays, including the well-known Blood Wedding. In August 1936, at the onset of the Spanish Civil War, Lorca was arrested at his country home in Granada by Francisco Franco’s soldiers. He was executed by a firing squad a few days after he had been captured. His books were burned in Granada’s Plaza del Carmen and were soon banned from Franco’s Spain.
Andalucia is a community located in Southern Spain. It was involved greatly in the Spanish Civil War, particularly when it first began. Franco sent many of his troops to Andalucia, and set up his headquarters in Seville (Andalucia’s capital). As Franco moved through Spain and took control of different areas, Andalucia suffered greatly. Since the war followed the Great Depression, much of the country was still poverty-ridden and unstable. Many families lived in small, one room homes with no electricity or water, and when the war came, many were not prepared for the amount devastation that would occur.
Federico Garcia Lorca was originally from a farm near Granada in Fuente Vaqueros, Spain. He was born on June 5, 1898 and died August 19, 1936. Lorca had a brother named Francisco Garcia Lorca. Lorca originally was going to have a career in law, but he soon realized his passion for writing. As his career in writing advanced and he became well known, he began to travel the world to share his poetry. Much of García Lorca’s work was infused with popular themes such as Flamenco and Gypsy culture. Before he died in 1936, he went back to Spain and co-founded La Barraca, a traveling theater company that performed both Spanish classics and Lorca’s original plays, including the well-known Blood Wedding. In August 1936, at the onset of the Spanish Civil War, Lorca was arrested at his country home in Granada by Francisco Franco’s soldiers. He was executed by a firing squad a few days after he had been captured. His books were burned in Granada’s Plaza del Carmen and were soon banned from Franco’s Spain.
Works Cited
"Federico García Lorca." Www.poetryfoundation.org. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web.
"Federico Garcia Lorca." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web.
"History." Andalucia. Andalucia Com S.L, 1996. Web.
"The Spanish Civil War 1936 - 39." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web.
"The Spanish Civil War." DonQuijote. Spanish Language Learning, n.d. Web.
"The Spanish Civil War." The Spanish Civil War. History Learning Site, 2014. Web.
"Federico Garcia Lorca." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web.
"History." Andalucia. Andalucia Com S.L, 1996. Web.
"The Spanish Civil War 1936 - 39." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web.
"The Spanish Civil War." DonQuijote. Spanish Language Learning, n.d. Web.
"The Spanish Civil War." The Spanish Civil War. History Learning Site, 2014. Web.