The GALA Hispanic Theater in Washington DC is celebrating its 40th anniversary with the world premiere of a new adaptation of Yerma, the tragic poem written in 1934 by the renowned Spanish poet and writer Federico García Lorca. The text has been adapted by the Spanish author Fernando J. López, the production is directed by José Luis Arellano and the original music has been composed by another Spaniard, David R. Peralto. The main role is played by the well-known Spanish actress Mabel del Pozo. The production has benefited from the support of AC/E through its Programme for the Internationalisation of Spanish Culture.
For this new adaptation in Spanish with English subtitles, Fernando J López has reduced the cast to five characters: Yerma, Juan, Víctor, La Vieja Dolores and María. Limiting the number of characters intensifies the oppression of a loveless marriage, the forbidden desires and the repressive society faced by Yerma in her rural environment. This version also underlines the modern woman’s concern with motherhood and her role in society. López, who has also published novels, has had many of his plays produced in Spain and is a well-known lecturer in Europe and the United States.
