As a follow-up to the quarter-long unit spent on the play La Casa de Bernarda Alba, AP and 4H Spanish students recently attended a live performance at the Repertorio Español in Manhattan. On April 25, Honors Spanish teacher Ms. Marilyn Gonzalez and AP Spanish teacher Ms. Evelin Joseph took the 33 students who signed up to see Federico Garcia Lorca’s play.

“Our class trip to see La Casa de Bernarda Alba was a great Spanish experience. Since we already read the play in class, it was easy to understand and follow along,” said junior Emily Schmidt. “Reading a play and actually seeing a play are two entirely different things, and I’m really glad I got to experience both.”

La Casa de Bernarda Alba is a part of the AP curriculum, and students on the AP Spanish track read it as juniors. Set in Spain, the play is about Bernarda Alba, a tyrannical mother who attempts to dominate her five unmarried daughters, all of whom are between 20 and 40 years of age. The plot escalates as each of the virgin daughters falls for the same man. The production, like the original work, is completely in Spanish.

“The theater company did a great job and they were true to the text,” said Ms. Joseph.

After rescheduling the trip several times, the teachers planned a day which included breakfast at a local diner and a stop at Pinkberry after the production.

“It was great to see a Spanish language production with my students. The students laughed at many of the lines and were amused by the acting. I wish we had more opportunities to experience the Spanish language and culture outside of the classroom,” said Ms. Gonzalez.