Theater at PW: Yerma
In Production Workshop’s presentation of Yerma, Duncan Gallagher ‘18 brings the world of rural, twentieth-century Spain to the modern stage. Yerma, first performed in 1934 as the final piece in Federico García Lorca’s rural trilogy, is classically recognized as a tale of a woman tormented by her inability to conceive a child. However, director Duncan Gallagher, who translated the Spanish work into English for the production, maintains that Yerma represents something more. According to Gallagher, Yerma “wrestles with the notion of occupation: what people should do with their lives, how to fulfill one’s societal duty, and what the body is for. It asks- and, at times, its characters beg to know- how to go on when they know they cannot be the people they wish they could be.”
The performance of a work so enriched with lyrical tragedy requires a cast that can truly bring the complex emotions of Yerma to life on stage. The cast of Yerma does an excellent job in this regard, effortlessly bringing the play's tragic notion that “everybody is stuck inside their house doing what they don’t like to do” into fruition. In playing Yerma, Erica Alonso ‘20 exhibits sheer expertise in navigating the tangled web of frustration, jealousy, isolation and anguish Yerma experiences in failing to fulfill the maternal role society expects of her, and facing their condemnation as a result. As Yerma’s husband, Juan, Daniel Kushner ‘20 excels at conveying the frustration that boils over in Juan throughout the play as he tries to curb Yerma’s desire for children, and what he deems to be her tendency toward reckless behavior. Other stand-out performances include those of Leo Tamez ‘21 as Victor, Alonnie Johnson ‘21 as Maria, Sammie Chomsky ‘18.5 as Old Woman, and Carmen Ferran ‘20.5 as Dolores. 
As a whole, the entirety of the cast of Yerma is incredibly successful in drawing the audience into the almost haunting world of Yerma’s despair. As the show unfolds and Yerma begins to feel more and more like a prisoner in her home without a child, she laments about feeling trapped as if she were in a tomb. Through scenes of chilling laughter, singing and dancing, the cast succeeds in conveying Yerma's sense of entrapment by those around her, crafting a tangible feeling of unsettlement that hangs in the air and permeates through the audience. In this sense, the cast does an excellent job at making the audience hypersensitive to the plight of Yerma and the isolating, scrutinizing world that surrounds her.
In reimagining a play that is deeply ingrained in the customs of the early twentieth century, one might expect it to be difficult to transpose the narrative of Yerma into the modern stage in a way that is both relatable and impactful. Despite this, Gallagher accomplishes this task with grace, allowing the audience to sympathize with the familiar notion of a character grappling for some sense of purpose in a world that actively constrains them. Gallagher's translation of the poetic language of the work is beautiful and complex without being inaccessible, allowing the tragedy to unfold smoothly onstage. Although the play is heartbreaking to watch at some points, it presents important notions of oppressive gender roles, societal constraints, and resistance to these systems, that are relevant to the modern viewer. It takes great direction and acting to put on a performance that makes the viewer unable to tear their eyes from the stage, even at moments where it may be difficult to watch. The cast and team of PW's Yerma accomplish this feat perfectly, making the production of the tragedy a must-see. Images via Alex Hanesworth '20
Yerma runs through April 9th at the PW Downspace located at 7 Young Orchard Ave.Directed and translated by: Duncan Gallagher '18Written by: Federico García LorcaFINAL SHOW TIME:April 9th 8:00 p.m.
CASTErica AlonsoDaniel KushnerLeo TamezAlonnie JohnsonSammie ChomskyCarmen FerranLiesl JaegerHalley McArnSam BlusteinRoysworth GrantMarissa Alfiero
TEAMDuncan GallagherIsabel BrodskyYong Hui ChinAmsel SaleemDan WilkenBella CavicchiMatt SteinbergBailey JonesAlex HanesworthKarya SezenerAnthony DeRitaJennifer OsborneNicole FeganVanessa Escartin UribeDrew HawkinsonRuby GerberLauren LubeckAni Pula