Modern Prodcution

 

Before I go any further into productions of this play, I must go back and give little information of this magnificent playwright. She is, in fact, the sole reasoning for some of the choices in modern productions today. A feminist during a time when it was unheard of, she took this and used it to portray many revolts against male dominance through mainly female characters. She struggled as an individual to retain her sense of creative fulfillment against preconceived roles in society.  She taught herself since the age of three and continued to prove herself independent without a bias on what she consumed for her education. Once she had reached a point where she could no longer advance, she became a nun. There she attained a connection with god and used her unique perspective in her writings. 

The first productions were held on religious festivals (Corpus Christi), specifically set during the parades of such events. Wooden floats or carts were made to function as the stage, while church officials and kings occupied a section of that platform as their separation from the audience. Two carts came together on either side of the platform and usually had a structure on it with two levels, an upper and lower level. Other aspects of the stage included a painted baseboard, canvas on the stage floor for actors to walk on, and "balustrade," extra stage space. 

Various indigenousness dances were also highlighted for the natives while it also pulls myths found in Spanish autosacramentales. This merging of native and Spanish culture also brings me to the costumes, which were native in origin. Thee outfits were flamboyant, colorful, ands good out at performances, making them hard to ignore. This could also be seen as the craziness of native outfits in connection with conversion to christianity. 

For modern day productions there are few and far between. Most performances are still done in Spanish speaking countries with a band. The stages are bare, the costumes still resemble that of native ancestors, and a band provides musical accompaniment right behind the actors. Not too different from how it was done back then. 

A recent show put on by Paper Chairs and adapted by Elizabeth Doss features a more modern and American take on the LOA. The stage is set outdoors on a bare wooden stage with its only source of light being gaslit lanterns. The only part of the scenery that is not bare is the decorative back wall which features a variety of gray and white ruffled fabrics. The actors wear various forms of white tops and all but one wear blue jeans. These actors also brandish medium sized name tags, displaying their character names, around their necks like necklaces. The main character wears a full white gown, that is modest in its construction, making it apparent that the lead is female. 

The connections that LOA makes to modern day playwrights is through her views of society. She was a feminist before the term was invented, she championed for women in the theatre and took to being as independent as she could when it came to her life. And Elizabeth Doss's choice of the white gown for the lead character is a nod to the author's original intention's for the play.