Love In Lope De Vega's Fuenteovejuna

I’ve recently had the pleasure of viewing an adaptation of Lope de Vega’s Fuenteovejuna, a tragicomedy performed at the University of Houston’s Wortham Theatre. Fuenteovejuna, set during the reign of King Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, is a story of a small village with the same name that is plagued by a cruel Commander. Through the use of various theatrical devices, the director successfully creates an enjoyable experience through the characters, the set, costumes, and actors to pull of an immersive story. The play emphasizes class, gender, and community through the transformative nature of love and the abuses of institutional power. The first thing that I noticed when I walked into the theater was that I’ve made a terrible mistake. It

In fact, it is crucial to the story of the relationship between the two, Laurencia and Frondoso. The behavior of Laurencia in the beginning act contrasts greatly with that of the third act. From a woman who criticizes the existence of “true love” to one whom rebels against the tyrannical Commander Guzman along with the rest of village people in order to save the town and her true love. With that in mind, the play seemed to effectively portray the importance of love, as the village community revolt to protect their own, and some to protect their loves. It is in fact love that captivates the villagers to rebel against the political disaster that is Commander Guzman. The show also transitions smoothly in between scenes, the room is dimmed while the crew switches the props to create a separate location in the play. It allows the audience to focus on the scene change and provides cohesiveness that is pretty impressive. The scenic design by Ellen Mizener was created out of basic materials yet has a distinct sense of medieval form. The forest, town hall, and the throne room all use the same stage set yet can be easily distinguished from each scene. The trees from the forest become invisible when the village comes before royalty. The dramatic acting from the performers, during both comedic and tragic scenes, along with the set lighting that changes during the mood of different scenes further reinforce the effectiveness of the director’s ability to successfully adapt the play to the