Fuenteovejuna

It dramatises the revolt of peasants against their tyrannical lord. This Commander, scornful, violent and devoid of honour, is assassinated. But the piece ends with a reconciliation between the sovereign power and the villagers, and a new lord is appointe

Félix Lope de Vega (1562-1635), the great playwright of the Spanish Golden Age, wrote a baroque play in three acts called “Fuenteovejuna” (The Sheep Well) after a village in the Córdoba region. It dramatises the revolt of peasants against their tyrannical lord. This Commander, scornful, violent and devoid of honour, is assassinated. But the piece ends with a reconciliation between the sovereign power and the villagers, and a new lord is appointed. Here Lope de Vega seems to be trying to show the value of “social coherence” and solidarity between the weakest. The piece has survived down the centuries and many agree that it can be interpreted in a variety of ways. The theme of the story is that of the collective and united struggle of a population against the tyranny of a despot, represented by the character of Fernan Gomez, Commander of the Order of Calatrava, symbol of despotism and the irremovable privileges of the Andalusian ruling class. The people watch helplessly all the excesses and abuses of the arrogant and lustful Commander, who intends to impose his will on all the inhabitants of Fuenteovejuna, beginning with the village’s representative and finishing with the peasants and shepherds. The play makes expressive use of dance, music and lighting to portray the classic theatre of Lope de Vega, a key figure of Spain’s Golden Age.

Source : Maison de la Danse programme