No plans for this weekend? We have good news: the play La Casa sin Bernarda (The House Without Bernarda)—winner of the National Theater Award (2024) for best direction—will offer three completely free performances in La Cruz, Liberia, and Carrillo.
La casa sin Bernarda is inspired by La casa de Bernarda Alba, a play by Federico García Lorca that tells the story of a widow who, after the death of her second husband, imposes eight years of mourning and strict confinement on her five daughters.
Directors Grettel Méndez Ramírez and Luisa Pérez Wolter take García Lorca’s play as a basis, but propose a twist: What would happen if Bernarda were not in the house? The directors’ intention is not to answer that question literally, but to explore the questions that arise from it.
“What happens to the daughters if Bernarda is not there? She is a daughter of her time, she also adopts a series of very patriarchal norms because she is the daughter of a very macho system that is very violent against women… So we don’t want to make her a monster, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look critically at what she did to her daughters,” says co-director Gretel Méndez.
La Casa sin Bernarda reflects on gender violence, specifically femicides, impunity, and the need for collective memory. It invites the audience to immerse themselves in the play by sitting at the table with the actresses as they delve into the live sound universe created by composer Natalia Tapia.
This play comes to the province thanks to RIDE Cultural, a program of the Ministry of Culture that brings various performances such as music, dance, visual arts, reading and writing, and cinema, among others, to the regional and community level.
Where and when can you see it?
- Friday, November 28 – 6 p.m.
Sardinal de Carrillo Community Hall - Saturday, November 29 – 2 p.m.
Quebrada Grande Community Hall in Liberia - Sunday, November 30 – 2 p.m.
Cuajiniquil Community Hall in La Cruz
The play is inspired by La Casa de Bernarda Alba by Spanish author Federico García Lorca, but it poses a provocative question: What happens if Bernarda is not there?
La Voz spoke with the play’s composer, Natalia Tapia, producer Madelaine Garit, and co-director Luisa Pérez Wolter to learn more about the play.
La Voz: What will the Guanacaste audience encounter in La casa sin Bernarda?
- Madelaine Garita: This play aims to invite the audience to participate. From the beginning, they are invited to enter this house. So they are a fundamental part of the play. Their interactions, their desires, their experiences accompany us throughout the play and are one of the living factors that change the play every night. There is no stage or differentiation between fiction and reality. They are invited to be part of that table, that house, and they truly become part of the play. They eat with us, they toast with us.
La Voz: Why is this play important in these times of violence we are going through?
- Natalia Tapia: Gender violence, mainly suffered by feminized bodies, is something that never goes out of style. The last time we were rehearsing, we realized that we have never had so many femicides when we are about to present the play. The number of femicides right now is just heartbreaking.
- Luisa Pérez: In our country, gender violence has increased dramatically, and in a way, The House Without Bernarda is a desperate cry. What we would like to bring to Guanacaste is a mirror, a moment to observe and reflect on what is happening.
- Madelaine Garita: It is painful that we still have to perform the play. It would be a relief and a celebration to say, “Oh, this play is no longer relevant.” I really think it would be a cause for celebration, but unfortunately, that is not the case.
Fact from La Voz: In 2024, the country broke its record for femicides in the last 13 years, with a total of 40 (23 classified under Article 21 and 17 femicides in other contexts). That was the year the play won the National Theater Award. This year, the figure stands at 32 femicides (24 classified under Article 21 and 9 femicides in other contexts), according to the most recent data from the Gender Observatory of the Judiciary.
La Voz: Why do you think it is necessary for a province like Guanacaste?
- Luisa Pérez: The femicide that inspired me took place in the province of Guanacaste. And what struck me most when I read the news was that it was a very brief report. So this feeling led me to ask myself: Why? Why isn’t it covered more in the news? Why isn’t it so important? Why isn’t there more attention on this news? What’s going on?
La Voz: Who would you like to see come to the play?
- Luisa Pérez: I would say everyone, but sometimes we think that when the plays are gender-themed, it’s like, “Oh no, that’s more for women.” I would definitely encourage men to come, because it’s wonderful when we see them becoming more aware, when we see them being touched by the issue, when they realize that they can also be part of the solution. I want to invite men to sit down at this table with us and rethink possible solutions. I think it would be wonderful to have them there. It is extremely important for us to hear what the Guanacaste community has to say about our work. Without an audience, there is no point in putting on these plays. We are very excited and grateful in advance that you are taking the time to come and share with us at our table.
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