Greeks and Romans on the Latin American Stage

Description

The first comprehensive treatment in English of the rich and varied afterlife of classical drama across Latin America, this volume explores the myriad ways in which ancient Greek and Roman texts have been adapted, invoked and re-worked in notable modern theatrical works across North and South America and the Caribbean, while also paying particular attention to the national and local context of each play. A comprehensive introduction provides a critical overview of the varying issues and complexities that arise when studying the afterlife of the European classics in the theatrical stages across this diverse and vast region. Fourteen chapters, divided into three general geographical sub-regions (Southern Cone, Brazil and the Caribbean and North America) present a strong connection to an ancient dramatic source text as well as comment upon important socio-political crises in the modern history of Latin America. The diversity and expertise of the voices in this volume translate into a multi-ranging approach to the topic that encompasses a variety of theoretical and interdisciplinary perspectives from classics, Latin American studies and theatre and performance studies. Cover page Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS CONTRIBUTORS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CHAPTER 1 STAGING THE EUROPEAN CLASSICAL IN ‘LATIN’ AMERICA: AN INTRODUCTION ‘Latin’ America? Latin America and the postcolonial Latin American receptions beyond hybridity Why drama? PART I SOUTHERN CONE CHAPTER 2 FROM EPIC TO TRAGEDY: THEATRE AND POLITICS IN JUAN CRUZ VARELA’S DIDO Margin vs. centre Dido’s homosociality CHAPTER 3 LEOPOLDO MARECHAL’S ANTÍGONA VÉLEZ: REWRITING GREEK TRAGEDY AS A FOUNDATION MYTH IN PERONIST ARGENTINA Catholic nationalism, Peronism and myths of the nation Antigone as a foundation myth CHAPTER 4 JUAN RADRIGÁN’S MEDEA MAPUCHE: RECREATING EURIPIDES’ REVENGE TRAGEDY IN AN INDIGENOUS CHILEAN CONTEXT The political and cultural setting of the play Departures from Euripides’ Medea, or why Kütral becomes ‘Medea’ CHAPTER 5 PHILOCTETES AND MEDEA IN CONTEMPORARY CHILEAN THEATRE Filoctetes (la herida y el arco) Diarrea ‘Chile is not that pretty’ PART II BRAZIL CHAPTER 6 A GOD SLEPT HERE BY GUILHERME FIGUEIREDO: A RADICAL MODERNIST AMPHITRUO FROM BRAZIL The double layer of metatheatre The reinterpretation of the roles of husband and wife Amphitryon Zero CHAPTER 7 GUILHERME FIGUEIREDO, AMPHITRYON AND THE WIDOW OF EPHESUS: LINKING PLAUTUS AND PETRONIUS Figueiredo’s Widow of Ephesus as a Petronian adaptation Figueiredo’s Widow of Ephesus as a case of contaminatio CHAPTER 8 ELECTRA’S TURN TO THE DARK SIDE: NELSON RODRIGUES’ SENHORA DOS AFOGADOS A nexus of receptions, ancient and modern The turn to the dark side The chorus in Rodrigues Conclusion CHAPTER 9 BECOMING ANTIGONE: THE CLASSICS AS A MODEL OF RESISTANCE IN JORGE ANDRADE’S PEDREIRA DAS ALMAS Pedreira das Almas: The historical setting of the play Mariana becoming Antigone Pedreira das Almas as a symbol of resistance Conclusion – Andrade as Antigone PART III THE CARIBBEAN AND NORTH AMERICA CHAPTER 10 DISTORTING THE LYSISTRATA PARADIGM IN PUERTO RICO: FRANCISCO ARRIVÍ’S CLUB DE SOLTEROS Adapting Lysistrata in the modern world Comic rewritings in the modern world Club de Solteros and Puerto Rican drama CHAPTER 11 CHALLENGING THE CANON IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: LISÍSTRATA ODIA LA POLÍTICA BY FRANKLIN DOMÍNGUEZ A Dominican Lysistrata Challenging definitions in antiquity and modernity Reconstructing Lysistrata through the Dominican lens CHAPTER 12 AESCHYLUS AND THE CUBAN COUNTER-REVOLUTION Arrufat’s polyphonic chorus The shield scene Etéocles and Polinice An unexpected ending CHAPTER 13 THE CONTEST BETWEEN CRÉOLITÉ AND CLASSICS IN PATRICK CHAMOISEAU’S STAGE PLAYS Une Manière d’Antigone Manman Dlo contre la fée Carabosse CHAPTER 14 DISMANTLING THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL MACHINE: FELIKS MORISO-LEWA’S ANTIGÒN AND LUIS ALFARO’S ELECTRICIDAD Moriso’s Antigòn Alfaro’s Electricidad Conclusions: Agamben, bare life and the classical tradition CHAPTER 15 ANTIGONE UNDEAD: TRAGEDY AND BIOPOLITICS IN PERLA DE LA ROSA’S ANTÍGONA: LAS VOCES QUE INCENDIAN EL DESIERTO Antigones undead: Symbolic death in Sophocles and the Sophoclean tradition Antigone reanimated: Symbolic death in de la Rosa’s Antígona Biopolitics Conclusions NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX