Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Theater Review: La Dama Del Alba (Lady of the Dawn)

This is a Spanish play written by Alejandro Casona.  I watched a made for TV film of the play.  This is a story of an extended family, but a family with grief.  Only a few days after her marriage, the daughter, Angelina, disappeared and was presumed drowned in the river.  However her body was never found.  The play begins on the fourth anniversary of the daughter.  Mother feels the most grief.  Says her grief is more severe even than the husband Martin.  While they are in conversation, a pilgrim comes to the home looking for a place to stay.  Grandfather recognizes her, but is not sure where.
She plays with the children, and laughs she says for the first time ever.  She falls asleep, and misses her appointment.  Grandfather recognizes her as death, who visited him when he almost died in a mining accident.  She had come for Martin.  Grandfather convinces her to leave them alone for now because of their grief over his granddaughter; funny death does not know her.  She says she will come back in seven months for Adela, a family friend who attempted suicide the previous night, but was rescued.
Over the seven months the family takes her in, being a daughter to the mother, and winning Martin's heart.  However Martin realizes that this would not do for the honor of his deceased wife.  (He knows she is not dead, but ran off with another man.  He has not said anything for the honor of the family.) 
Angelica has been unhappy.  Her lover left her.  She decides to return home.  Death comes again, and takes the daughter rather than the new girlfriend.
My only complaint is this moves a bit slowly.  Also the Spanish accents the the zeta is a bit hard to understand at times.

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