One of Lorca's earlier dramatic efforts from 1925, Mariana Pineda has lived in the shadows of his more popular late works. Late is only relative, since Lorca was assassinated by Franco's fascists at age thirty eight. This production turns out to be the Austrian premiere of Lorca's homage to an early nineteenth-century rebel from his hometown of Granada in Spain.
Mariana (Christiane Ostermayer) is at the hub of a trio of men: innocent idealist Fernando (Florian Teichmeister), revolutionary Don Pedro (Nik Neureiter) and cruel judge Pedrosa (Christian Spatzek). Fernando agrees to aid Mariana's lover Don Pedro, on the run for his liberal anarchist actions. Under cover of torrential rain, Don Pedro visits Mariana with other conspirators. They no sooner leave than Pedroso appears to tease or force out the whereabouts of the band, but she refuses to squeal. Fernando meets Mariana at the convent where she is held. He confirms that Don Pedro has escaped to England, so Mariana faces her own death alone as a martyr for liberty.
All the familiar Lorca themes are present: stern authority figures (Angustias and Sister Carmen) contrasted with earthy peasants (Isabel), anti-clericalism, rebellion against society and love for Spain. Unfortunately Silvia Armbruster's direction exposes Lorca's schematic characterizations and blatant political statements, making Mariana Pineda seem like a poor stepsister to the more fully realized Yerma. Armbruster turns the violence inherent in the various relationships into rather banal physical violence, and in the process vitiates dramatic tension. One wishes this production were in the round rather than the traditional proscenium arch setup at Vienna's Volksteater, but this is mainly because the humanity of the characters was absent. Also missing was Lorca's poetry and sensibility, amply present in the longer speeches in the original Spanish text heard in Enrique Beck and Herbert Meier's German translation. Christiane Ostermayer accompanies her intense delivery with a blank expression that denies Mariana's passion. To her credit, she sustains an exhausting role while present onstage for nearly the entire drama.
Christian Spatzek and Nik Neureiter are cardboard types. Secondary performers, especially Doris Weiner and Isabel Martinez, save the day along with Florian Teichmeister. Cornelia Gaertner uses brown Kraft paper walls and a bench or two for Mariana's well-appointed house. Stagehands rip down the paper for the simpler convent scene. There is a modern feel to Mimi Zuzanek's generic nineteenth-century costumes.
The Volksteater is Vienna's principal repertory company, with nine major productions on view this season not counting children's theater, experimental evenings and several mini-revivals.
