Greeks and Romans on the Latin American Stage (Bloomsbury Studies in Classical Reception)

"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"-- Provided by publisher Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Series page 3 Title page 6 Copyright page 7 CONTENTS 8 ILLUSTRATIONS 10 CONTRIBUTORS 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 14 CHAPTER 1 STAGING THE EUROPEAN CLASSICAL IN ‘LATIN’ AMERICA: AN INTRODUCTION 16 ‘Latin’ America? 17 Latin America and the postcolonial 18 Latin American receptions beyond hybridity 20 Why drama? 23 PART I SOUTHERN CONE 32 CHAPTER 2 FROM EPIC TO TRAGEDY: THEATRE AND POLITICS IN JUAN CRUZ VARELA’S DIDO 34 Margin vs. centre 35 Dido’s homosociality 42 CHAPTER 3 LEOPOLDO MARECHAL’S ANTÍGONA VÉLEZ: REWRITING GREEK TRAGEDY AS A FOUNDATION MYTH IN PERONIST ARGENTINA 48 Catholic nationalism, Peronism and myths of the nation 49 Antigone as a foundation myth 53 CHAPTER 4 JUAN RADRIGÁN’S MEDEA MAPUCHE: RECREATING EURIPIDES’ REVENGE TRAGEDY IN AN INDIGENOUS CHILEAN CONTEXT 62 The political and cultural setting of the play 63 Departures from Euripides’ Medea, or why Kütral becomes ‘Medea’ 69 CHAPTER 5 PHILOCTETES AND MEDEA IN CONTEMPORARY CHILEAN THEATRE 74 Filoctetes (la herida y el arco) 76 Diarrea 81 ‘Chile is not that pretty’ 86 PART II BRAZIL 88 CHAPTER 6 A GOD SLEPT HERE BY GUILHERME FIGUEIREDO: A RADICAL MODERNIST AMPHITRUO FROM BRAZIL 90 The double layer of metatheatre 93 The reinterpretation of the roles of husband and wife 97 Amphitryon Zero 100 CHAPTER 7 GUILHERME FIGUEIREDO, AMPHITRYON AND THE WIDOW OF EPHESUS: LINKING PLAUTUS AND PETRONIUS 104 Figueiredo’s Widow of Ephesus as a Petronian adaptation 105 Figueiredo’s Widow of Ephesus as a case of contaminatio 109 CHAPTER 8 ELECTRA’S TURN TO THE DARK SIDE: NELSON RODRIGUES’ SENHORA DOS AFOGADOS 116 A nexus of receptions, ancient and modern 117 The turn to the dark side 120 The chorus in Rodrigues 125 Conclusion 127 CHAPTER 9 BECOMING ANTIGONE: THE CLASSICS AS A MODEL OF RESISTANCE IN JORGE ANDRADE’S PEDREIRA DAS ALMAS 130 Pedreira das Almas: The historical setting of the play 131 Mariana becoming Antigone 132 Pedreira das Almas as a symbol of resistance 138 Conclusion – Andrade as Antigone 141 PART III THE CARIBBEAN AND NORTH AMERICA 144 CHAPTER 10 DISTORTING THE LYSISTRATA PARADIGM IN PUERTO RICO: FRANCISCO ARRIV͐S CLUB DE SOLTEROS 146 Adapting Lysistrata in the modern world 147 Comic rewritings in the modern world 153 Club de Solteros and Puerto Rican drama 155 CHAPTER 11 CHALLENGING THE CANON IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: LISÍSTRATA ODIA LA POLÍTICA BY FRANKLIN DOMÍNGUEZ 160 A Dominican Lysistrata 163 Challenging definitions in antiquity and modernity 166 Reconstructing Lysistrata through the Dominican lens 169 CHAPTER 12 AESCHYLUS AND THE CUBAN COUNTER-REVOLUTION 172 Arrufat’s polyphonic chorus 174 The shield scene 177 Etéocles and Polinice 180 An unexpected ending 183 CHAPTER 13 THE CONTEST BETWEEN CRÉOLITÉ AND CLASSICS IN PATRICK CHAMOISEAU’S STAGE PLAYS 186 Une Manière d’Antigone 187 Manman Dlo contre la fée Carabosse 191 CHAPTER 14 DISMANTLING THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL MACHINE: FELIKS MORISO-LEWA’S ANTIGÒN AND LUIS ALFARO’S ELECTRICIDAD 200 Moriso’s Antigòn 202 Alfaro’s Electricidad 207 Conclusions: Agamben, bare life and the classical tradition 210 CHAPTER 15 ANTIGONE UNDEAD: TRAGEDY AND BIOPOLITICS IN PERLA DE LA ROSA’S ANTÍGONA: LAS VOCES QUE INCENDIAN EL DESIERTO 214 Antigones undead: Symbolic death in Sophocles and the Sophoclean tradition 216 Antigone reanimated: Symbolic death in de la Rosa’s Antígona 218 Biopolitics 221 Conclusions 224 NOTES 228 BIBLIOGRAPHY 272 INDEX 300 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