Yerma – Miah Hawkins
Background research Review
Who was Federico Garcia Lorca, what did he write and what happened to him?
- Spanish poet and playwright
What ‘company’ did Lorca keep and how did this impact the style of his writing?
Yerma is part of a Trilogy – what are the other two plays?
Why have these works been compared to ‘Greek Tragedy’?
What were Federico Garcia Lorca’s intentions for the play - Yerma?
When was the play written?
- 1934
When is the play set and what location is it set in?
- Written during reign of Franco, In Spain
What was happening ‘Politically’ at the time in Spain?
- Spanish civil war
What was happening ‘Socially & Culturally’ at the time in Spain?
- Living in catholic society
- Abstract serialist art coming out, emotions
- Heavily masculine society
- Roles of man and women have been dictated for a long time
How important was ‘Religion’ to Spanish Society at this time?
- Very important
Why do some characters in the play have names and other characters, titles?
- Suggest characters priority, main characters are there story
What themes run through the play?
- Jealously, Nature, Relationship, Passion, Frustration, Friendship, fertility, religion,
conflict of man and women, power
How has ‘Spanish Folklore’ impacted on Lorca’s writings?
- Fertility and festival
- Similar to pagan folklore form any European country and its impacts him as he has
out it in his writing. Imagery and symbolism
- Has lots of symbolism and imagery
What ‘Imagery/Symbolism’ reoccur throughout the play?
, - Nature, lots of water references. Spanish folklore water is always related to the
fertility.
How does Lorca’s own life parallel Yerma’s life and journey in the play?
- His is outcast form society, where it is illegal to be a homosexual man and cannot
fulfil any family wants
What do we want the audience too…?
FEEL: empathy, relatable (something on the stage that is engaging no matter who walks into
the theatre), scared, pity, invasive (shocking in places),
THINK: sensitivity to towards other issues, pressure of modern society, appearance vs
reality
LEARN: people to recognise it’s a play that loss of people is affected by society, vulnerability
of the human mind, people have different ways of expression emotions, see the connection
between modern day and society back then. Expectation that men can’t show emotion.
Question their on morals - codes and life.
How do you want a modern-day audience to CONNECT with the play? To be able to
recognise that this is still relevant today.
What is the DEEPEST meaning of the play?
- Isolation
- Story about how a society is blueprint on a group of people can bring suffering for all
With my production of Yerma, I aim too… make my audience feel empathy and connect with
yerma as a character and think about the pressure on modern society so that when they
leave the theatre they recognise that people have different ways of expressing emotions.
Lorca was influenced by expressionism and surrealism. He wanted his productions to have:
All movement and dialogue to feel poetic
A move away from naturalism
Stylised settings
Expressive, colourful and playful imagery
Rhythmic and musical action
Task 1: study the famous painting scream
How does the picture use colour and texture?
- Red and yellow dominate colours, Spanish flag which related to Lorca.
What emotions does the picture portray?
- Confusion, shock, tiredness, ciaos
What other ‘adjectives’ can you use to describe the picture?
