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2.7.08
Still waiting for your prince on horseback? A clever subversion of one of Western civilization’s favorite tropes might be just what you’ve been looking for.
The Hispanic Studies Department and the drama department will present the play “La Cabeza del Dragón (The Head of the Dragon)” in the Powerhouse Theater at 5 p.m. on May 7, 5 p.m. on May 9 and 8 p.m. on May 10. The play, which was written by the radical Spanish playwright Ramón Valle-Inclán, will feature students from both departments. It will be performed in Spanish and accompanied by projected English subtitles.
“La Cabeza del Dragón” is a fairy tale on the surface, but it was written as a political satire criticizing the Spanish government in the early 20th century. The story, which follows the classic fairy-tale trope of the prince’s heroic journey, mocks Spain’s role in the world during that era by critiquing the sentimentality of contemporary bourgeois playwrights.
The story begins with the prince departing from his kingdom for an adventure and finding himself on a quest to save a princess from a dragon. Valle-Inclán inverted this myth through visual and aural vulgarity to expose its inherent fairy-tale blandness.
The student performers hoped to use the play’s depictions of travel and resultant cultural exchange to break away from the control of hegemonic discourse. They planned to learn by listening more deeply to one another and to the text itself. They indicated a desire to take risks with the material and their presentation of it.
The group is also aiming to produce more Spanish plays. With campus performances dominated by the drama department and various student groups, there are very few foreign language plays produced at Vassar. The Hispanic Studies Department is enthusiastic about the rich opportunities that Spanish playwrights present for good student theater.
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Alumnae/i posters are strongly encouraged to include their class year with their name. The maximum length for comments is approximately 100 words; longer responses should be submitted as letters to the editor to misc@vassar.edu. More information about our letters policy can be found on our Policies page.
