Lope de Vega: comedia urbana y comedia palatina. Actas de las XVII Jornadas de teatro clásico. Almagro 1995 (review)

Reviews115 Lope or Calderón, but not Tirso, it is easy to feel the desire to promote Tirso by name. This volume's appearance makes clear the need for more book-length studies on Tirso, since articles tend to examine individual plays without regard for the whole corpus or for Tirso's place in the history of drama. But these are other matters. As good theater criticism should do, this fine collection of essays sends us hurrying back to the play texts and encourages us to catch performances when we can. Jane Albrecht Wake Forest University Pedraza Jiménez, Felipe B. & Rafael González Cañal, eds. Lope de Vega: comedia urbana y comedia palatina. Actas de las XVII Jornadas de teatro clásico. Almagro 1995. Almagro: Graficinco, 1996. Paper. 200 PPThis collection ofessays addressing the varieties ofLopean drama designated by the participants as urbana, palatina orpalaciega conveys to those unable to attend the Almagro Jornadas a sense of the different approaches to and interpretations of Golden Age drama that are discussed there every year. The Actas, which are organized thematically rather than in the order in which papers were actually presented, day-by-day, present two main perspectives : La reflexión histórica and La experiencia teatral. Additionally, there are essays concerning the treatment of female characters and the evolution ofthe zarzuela, as well as a semiotic study based on thirty comedias by Lope. The volume concludes with the minutes of two round-table discussions critiquing the performances of El acero de Madrid and No hay burlas con el amor, along with a new Portuguese translation of El castigo sin venganza. Among the essays focusing directly on the sub-genres ofLope's dramas, César Oliva considers the impact of physical space on the dramatist's creativity and deems Lope a master at solving scénographie conflicts by utilizing little more than the three walls of the corral. Oliva offers a repertoire, complete with sketches, of common stagings. Particularly noteworthy is the essay by Ignacio Arellano in which he discusses the evolution ofthese subgenres from Lope through Calderón. Elements discussed include dramatic setting, characterization, the many facets ofthe theme oflove, as well as the role of power and money. Finally, traditional models of humor and structure are studied. Arellano concludes that the comedias de capa y espada pass through three stages: the first, formative, combining a variety of tradì- 116BCom, Vol. 50, No. 1 (Summer 1998) tional elements; the second, standard, using the formula of Lope and Calderón; and the final stage, parodie, in which reiteration of the model leads to its disintegration. The second group addresses the theatricality of the comedia and demonstrates the passion and commitment of those involved in the staging and presentation of Spain's classical drama. Rafael Pérez Sierra discusses the background of his cinematographic version of El perro del hortelano, taking cues from successful stagings of Shakespearean works, noting in particular the process of creating a screenplay and overcoming the lack of stage direction and description so inherent to the comedia. Emilio Gutiérrez Caba continues in the vein ofhistorical perspectives, asking: "¿Cómo es la comedia clásica y en general el teatro clásico español para los actores de hoy?" (116). In partial response, he asserts that although fewer actors today express interest in classical theater, those who do are remarkably well prepared to perform these plays. The third and final contribution in this section comes from Alfonso Zurro, who vividly conveys emotion and enthusiasm for the theater as he comments on the continuing evolution of popular theater from Lope to Lorca and into the present day. Zurro also wonders about the future ofpopular theater, given the preference ofcontemporary audiences for television and cinema. Gerardo Fernández San Emeterio's comments on Lope's influence on the zarzuelas ofthe nineteenth century addresses questions raised by Zurro and Gutiérrez Caba regarding fidelity to the original in the modern staging of Golden Age drama. Fernández contends that zarzuelas based on lesser known dramas enjoyed acceptance because of the freer adaptations undertaken by their nineteenth-century authors. This perspective highlights Zurro 's apprehension that popular adaptations of classical...