Who was Miguel de Unamuno?
If you, like me, are unaware of the Spanish poet, novelist, teacher, rebel, and a member of the "Generation of 1898," you'll want to get a ticket to the world premiere of The Old Man, The Youth and The Sea or El Viejo, El Joven Y El Mar now on stage at Gala Hispanic Theatre.
The scholar and sage bears some resemblance to Ernest Hemingway who receives "an homage" in the subtitle.
It is likely that Mr. Unamuno (1864-1936) and Mr. Hemingway (1899-1961) never met, but they shared a love of writing, of Spain (Mr. Unamuno's birthplace) and attitude towards war and its soul-searching after-effects.
In a Gala commissioning, playwright Irma Correa focuses on Mr. Unamuno's philosophies about existence and reason, in contrast to a youth's idealism.
The old man (Horacio Pena as Mr. Unamuno) and the young man (Victor de la Fuente) meet on the island of Fuerteventura in the Canaries where Mr. Unamuno has been confined because of political differences with the dictator Primo de Rivera.
Cisco, the young man, is assigned caretaking responsibilities for Mr. Unamuno who stays in one bedroom for the entire length of the play.
They exchange pleasantries and ideas about life, their conversations which stand opposite stark plywood walls, floors, and few pieces of furniture which permit no distraction from the dialogue.
The two discuss existence and meaning. Cisco dreams the impossible, that of capturing the largest whale in the ocean which he calls "Moby Dick." He holds and moves a chair up and down as he crosses the room, back and forth, much like a great fish would do while threshing through waves.
Unamuno's wife, Concha (Luz Nicolás), briefly joins her husband to provide support. Soon, Unamuno's friend and writer, Dumay (Delbis Cardona) arrives, bringing an elaborate plot to escape, but Unamuno will have none of it!
Later, the general (Cardona in dual roles) puts the squeeze on any escape plans, but the dictator issues a pardon to Unamuno who rejects it. The prisoner continues making other escape plans and encourages Cisco to join him.
The two strive to hold fast to their own ideals and searches, but they clearly are affected by the other's beliefs.
The night I attended, the audience gave the actors and crew a standing ovation, proud to be part of a performance which recognizes the talents of another Spanish writer.
The director, José Luis Arellano, won the 2016 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Direction for Gala's Yerma which also received another Helen Hayes Award, for Outstanding Set Design by Silvia de Marta. For the Old Man, Ms. de Marta designed the set and costumes which perfectly match the suit Mr. Unamuno is wearing in the portrait below.
By Ramon Casas i Carbó - Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, ePublic Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org
The proximity of the sea enabled sound and lighting designer Jesus Diaz to capitalize on its nature to produce visualization of a cabin at the shore.
The lighting is particularly effective as a single light from one side of the room casts a large shadow on the wall to create sharp black angles and define a prison.
A Gala statement quotes Ms. Correa:
"It is time to revive Unamuno....[who] represents the power of reason and empathy, and...Cisco, the dream of tomorrow, the drive of being alive...the General defends the fulfillment of duty [and]...unbreakable morality. He is Trump's wall."
Mr. Pena, a persuasive Unamuno, is "Argentina's leading stage film and television actor," says Gala. He and Mr. de la Fuente (from Madrid) are making their Gala debuts.
Others production team members are Iñaki Salvador, music composition; Elvira Zorita, video design; Alicia Tessari, properties; Catherine Nunez, stage manager; Devin Mahoney, technical director, Hugo Medrano, producer; Tony Koehler and David Peralto, production coordinators.
Presented in Spanish with English subtitles. To read subtitles comfortably, English-only guests should request seating in rows E through H.
What: The Old Man, The Youth and The Sea or El Viejo, El Joven Y El Mar by Irma Correa
When: Now through March 3, 2019, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.
Where: Gala Theatre, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010.
Tickets: $48, regular; $30 for seniors (65+), military, students, and those ages 30 and under; $25, group sales (10 or more) with additional discounts for groups of 10 and more. Go online and order at GALA Tickets.
Student Matinees: February 28 and March 1 at 10:30 a.m. For more information, email education@galatheatre.org.
Duration: A little over two hours with one intermission
Metro stations: Columbia Heights or McPherson Square and take a bus or the Circulator from McPherson Square up 14th, or walk two miles and save money while using calories! Lots of places to eat along the way.
Parking: Available nearby
For more information: Call (202) 234-7174 and/or email info@galatheatre.org
The production was made possible with support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Embassy of Spain in Washington, DC, SPAIN arts & culture, and Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) through its Programa de Internacionalización de la Cultura Española (PICE).
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