• Overview
• Staging information
• Translations
• Sample translations
• Production history

Scene

This is a three-act comedia, but it is written with a somewhat episodic structure, perhaps in part because it is a jibe against the dominant Lopean playwriting style.  There is therefore an argument for playing it as a series of independent scenes rather than as a three-act play, which was the approach taken by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 2004-5. (less)

This is a three-act comedia, but it is written with a somewhat episodic structure, perhaps in part because it is a jibe against the dominant Lopean playwriting style. There is therefore... (Read more...)

Staging

The most important staging considerations are Pedro’s constant changes of costume. He appears dressed as various members of the social strata, including as a shepherd, a public servant assisting the mayor, a gypsy, a blind man, a hermit carrying heavy bags of sand (which he puts in the widow’s purse to replace the money he steals from her), a student in a cloak and cap, and finally an actor. He encounters members of these groups who are also described as dressed according to their station. There are two dancing sequences in the play that call for music: two male actors dress as women and perform a dance for the amusement of the King, and the gypsy women perform a dance for the King in which Belica purposefully falls upon him to attract his attention. (less)

The most important staging considerations are Pedro’s constant changes of costume. He appears dressed as various members of the social strata, including as a shepherd, a public servant ... (Read more...)

Cast information

Many of the characters can be doubled, in multiple ways. Actors playing more than one character will highlight the metatheatrical theme running through the play. There could be any number of townsfolk, musicians and players involved, but if every character named in the original appeared as a separate actor, there would be 26 men and 6 women, plus musicians, dancers and singers.

Characters

• PEDRO DE URDEMALAS
• CLEMENTE, Shepherd
• CLEMENCIA, Shepherdess
• BENITA, Shepherdess
• MARTÍN CRESPO, Mayor of the town, and Clemencia’s father
• SANCHO MACHO, Alderman
• DIEGO TARUGO, Alderman
• LAGARTIJA, Labourer
• HORNACHUELOS, Labourer
• REDONDO, City council scribe
• PASCUAL, Shepherd
• SACRISTAN
• MALDONADO, Gypsy Chief
• MUSICIANS
• INÉS, Gypsy woman
• BELICA, Raised as a Gypsy girl, but actually daughter of nobles
• OLD WOMAN
• FARMER, Companion to the Old Woman
• BLIND MAN
• KING
• SILERIO, Servant to the court
• SERVANT, Of the King
• BAILIFF
• QUEEN
• MOSTRENCO
• MARCELO, An old gentleman
• ACTORS (3)
• DIRECTOR
• FARMER
• TWO MORE ACTORS
• MASTER OF THE REVELS

Entry written by Kathleen Jeffs. Last updated on 24 February 2011.

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