The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico García: silencing and censorship in theatre

Abstract

This text seeks to contribute to the discussion on the relationship between history and literature, as well as freedom and state control, by studying the impact of Francoist censorship and, consequently, the silencing of a play by Federico García Lorca (1998-1936). We have chosen his dramatic production The House of Bernarda Alba (1936), because, on the one hand, it is the last play written by this Granada-born writer before being murdered by Franco's regime, and on the other, because it is a text that suffered the censorship imposed by the military dictatorship for decades - its premiere in Spain only occurred in 1964. Rescuing this event, which occurred in the last century, in the time of memory is important because it becomes a fertile ground for social reflection and historical awareness today. To support our study, we turn to researchers on the subject such as Muñoz Cáliz (2005, 2007); Bernecker, W.L. (2020); Gibson, I. (2009); among other authors.