INTRO = If this performance was performed in Spanish I would use a Spanish accent of an
Andalusian dialect. However, as it's performed in English I would use a rural accent (e.g Yorkshire or
West Country) to reflect Juan's work as a farmer and the setting of 1934 rural Andalusia, Spain. I
would act in a mainly naturalistic style, but with some non-naturalistic elements as Lorca was
interested in song-writing (cante jondo) and dance (flamenco) which he incorporated ideas from. …
CONTEXT + LOCATION of the extract + 6 to 8 quotes
TIMELINE/CONTEXT:
Act One Scene One
Time: Two years into Yerma’s marriage
Location: Interior, Yerma’s house
- Yerma dreams of a shepherd and a child
- She wakes, helps Juan get ready for work.
- She sings a song to her imaginary child.
- Her friend Maria visits and reveals that she is pregnant; she has brought cloth for Yerma to
make baby clothes.
- Victor visits, believes that the baby clothes Yerma is making are for her own child.
Act One Scene Two
Time: One year later (three years into Yerma’s marriage)
Location: The fields
- Yerma has taken food to Juan in the fields.
- She meets a Pagan Old Woman who talks about her passionate lifestyle and her many
children. We learn that Yerma had romantic feelings for Victor when she was a teenager.
- Yerma meets two young girls, one who has a baby and has left it home alone, the other who
is newly-wed and doesn’t want children. Her mother is Dolores (see Act Three Scene One).
- Next Yerma meets Victor. There is unspoken romantic tension between the two of them. Juan
enters, criticising Yerma for being out of the house talking to people.
Act Two Scene One
Time: ^^
Location: The stream/river
- Washerwoman sing and gossip as they wash their clothes in the river.
- An argument breaks out between the First Washerwoman (2 is middle ground + 6 doesn't
gossip), who is on Yerma’s side, and the Fourth Washerwoman, who is against her (with 3 &
5).
- Juan’s two unmarried sisters arrive to do their washing.
- The scene ends with the six Washerwomen’s song about the act of reproduction.
● Inside jokes & trying to get reaction from sisters when Fourth Washerwomen says "Victors"
sheep are missing (foreshadowing they will be given to juan & Yerma in the next scene)
● Choreographed movement in unison/canon when singing to a compás (in flamenco is the
rhythmical structure of the music) - includes tin/wicker baskets, washboard, wet cloth,
splashing river water, percussion of clapping, stamping feet, cheering, and playing the cajon
(flamenco box).
Act Two Scene Two
Time: ^^
Location: Yerma’s house
- The sisters-in-law are living with Juan and Yerma. As they come in and out of the room,
preparing a meal, Juan and Yerma argue bitterly.
- When Juan goes to eat with the sisters, Yerma invites Maria into the house. Yerma holds
Maria’s baby but it makes her unhappy. Maria advises Yerma to accept her childless fate.
- The Second Girl from Act One Scene Two enters to tell Yerma that her mother, Dolores, is
waiting for her.
- Victor comes to say goodbye - Juan has bought his sheep and he is leaving the area.
- Yerma departs for Dolores’ house. The sisters discover that she has gone.
, ● Sister-in-laws getting food/water jug/cleaning etc but slowly to not provoke Juan & spy on
Yerma at door
Act Three Scene One
Time: ^^
Location: Dolores’ house
- Dolores and several other old women have just completed a fertility ritual for Yerma in the
cemetery, which combines prayers with herbal remedies. They are impressed by her bravery,
but shocked at her attitude to Juan.
- Juan and the sisters enter the house and Yerma and Juan have another devastating
argument. Yerma vows to be silent from now on.
Act Three Scene Two
Time: About a month later
Location: At the romeria (pilgrimage/festival) to St Anne, by a shrine in the mountains
- The Pagan Woman walks to another woman about the young men’s rough behaviour at this
festival.
- Maria has a similar conversation with a young girl, and explains that Yerma is here and has
been acting strangely for a month.
- Yerma and six women enter with candles and recite a prayer.
- A pagan ritual takes place, in which a male and female figure reenact a courtship ritual and
seem to simulate the act of reproduction.
- Yerma has a conversation with the Pagan Woman, who tells her to leave Juan and go off with
one of her own sons. Yerma says she could never do this, and the Pagan Woman rejects her.
- Juan overhears. He is drunk, and tells Yerma to give up all hope of having a child. He
attempts to kiss her; she is horrified and strangles him.
, ACTING =
Yerma and Juan - Act 1 Scene 1
This scene is set in rural Andalucia in 1934, inside Dolores' house. Previously Yerma has left her
household at night without Juan's permission to have Dolores perform a pagan procedure to help
her have a child. Here, Yerma and Juan (now three years into their marriage) publicly fight in front
of Dolores, the two old women and the two sister-in-laws, about Yerma's desire for a baby versus
Juan's anger at her recent behaviour. If this performance was performed in Spanish the actors
would use a Spanish accent of an Andalusian dialect. However, as it's performed in English they
should use an English rural accent (e.g Yorkshire or West Country) to reflect Juan's work as a
farmer. As it is a play that combines elements of naturalism and symbolism, the actors should act in
a mainly naturalistic style. Yerma is in her mid twenties so I would cast a younger actress.
Whereas, Juan is implied to be older and struggling with his health so I would cast a less
conventionally attractive and healthy looking man - which in turn implies he is less compatible with
Yerma.
The actors playing Juan and Yerma would be upstage left at a somewhat close proximity as in his
anger he would have stormed right into the house towards her. This is ironic as it may look to
others that they are in a close relationship, when in reality this is not the case. On his opening line, I
want Juan's actor to communicate how annoyed Juan is. Therefore, on "I can't take it anymore! …
Tell me! … The streets are… full of men!", he should use a loud volume and fast pace, coupled with
wide eyes and raised eyebrows. At every exclamation point intonating his voice upwards and
throwing his hands up exasperatedly.
In retaliation, Yerma says "Come here! Come on! Come close and smell my clothes! No, closer still!
Do you smell anything that isn't yours". At the start, the actor should nod after every exclamation
and use her hands to beckon Juan closer. Her eyes here should be wide, to communicate her
madness due to Juan's behaviour. By the fourth "No, come closer still!" she should raise her voice
louder and use her right hand to pull Juan nearer to her by his fajines. Her voice would be more
monotone and facial expression would change to be more serious here on "Do you smell anything
that isn't yours" to challenge Juan, as she makes direct eye contact and drops her hand rapidly.
This creates dramatic tension and reflects how despite maybe wanting to be with Victor, her
"family's" honour is also as important as is to Juan with his own. Additionally, her threatening
behaviour would subvert 20th century patriarchal standards as women were meant to be
submissive to their husbands.
Contrastingly, on "and people are starting to talk… to talk openly. When they see me, they fall
silent" I want the actor playing Juan to portray how he is embarrassed by Yerma's behaviour both
here and generally, especially them publicly fighting - due to his family honour and ego as a 20th
century man - in contrast to Yerma who is unaware. Thus, he should hunch over and create a
distressed facial expression through a furrowed brow and pursed lips. He would say this line with a
low volume voice and hushed tone, pausing on the ellipsis and looking stage right at the other
characters. Then he would look back at Yerma, leaning in closer with narrowed eyes and lowering
and slowing down his voice further - to suggest secrecy.
To portray Yerma and Juan's bickering, with an indignant tone the actress playing Yerma would say
"A storm blows up and flattens the corn. Does that mean the corn's not good", with raised eyebrows
and hands on hips. Juan would cut into the end of her line rapidly, also raising his eyebrows and
crossing his arms when bitingly saying "a wife's out for hours on end. Does that mean she's not
looking for something". Then the actor playing Juan will start walk away further stage right, not
making eye contact with Yerma due to his embarrassment.
Then Yerma's actor would rapidly run behind Juan (who is centre stage right facing the corner) and
start 'suddenly embracing him', wrapping her hands around his tense body's waist and leaning her
head on his back with a subtle smile. His actor would respond by furrowing his forehead, shrugging
her off not very forcefully, stepping to the right, and looking in the other direction with an upright
posture. In turn, Yerma's actress here should squint her eyes and have a wide mouth as she says
at a loud volume "I'm looking for you! … It's your blood I wan't! And your concern!". She should tug
