The original set designs for Bodas de sangre and Yerma: written and built spaces

Abstract

Federico García Lorca (1898-1936) was one of the most influential writers of Spanish literature of the 20th century. His particular point of view, influenced by rural and urban experiences, inspired set designs with high aesthetic and compositional value. This research analyzes the original stagings of Bodas de sangre in the Teatro Beatriz (Madrid, 1933) and Yerma in the Teatro Español (Madrid, 1934). Compiling documentary material and preparing plans and technical models offer a complete view of each proposal, considering the design criteria and construction processes of those designs for which information is available today. Studying the set designers responsible for each project is also relevant. Manuel Fontanals, Santiago Ontañón, and Siegfried Burmann were leading figures in Spanish and foreign theatrical plastic art during the Second Spanish Republic and the following years. In summary, the study shows how the designs for each scenic space were created, analyzing both their compositional and technical details and the transformation process from the written space to the built one. After all, set design is a discipline belonging to ephemeral architecture, which aims to generate atmospheres and structures with a short useful life but with aesthetic, functional, and stability requirements.