(311)
Life Is a Dream (Racz)
Pedro Calderón De La Barca
Life is a Dream (Donmar Warehouse version)
by Pedro Calderon, Helen Edmundson
Highlights
What readers are saying
Readers appreciate the depth and beauty of Calderón's 'Life Is A Dream', often highlighting its poetic language and philosophical themes. Many find it a challenging yet rewarding read, with memorable characters and profound reflections on life. The play's timeless nature and its exploration of reality versus illusion resonate strongly with audiences.
Beautiful poetic languageProfound philosophical themesMemorable charactersTimeless exploration of realityComplex language can be challenging
Synopsis
Life is a Dream; A classic from the Spanish Golden Age, Calderón's richly poetic, epic masterpiece explores illusion, reality, fate and destiny against the backdrop of a mythical Polish kingdom.
Press Reviews
"…richly elegant translation…the ultimate question Calderón and Cruz seem to be asking is how a species capable of creating such abominations as genocide, murder and slavery can also produce Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the Taj Mahal and John Coltrane.“ —Orange County Weekly. ”That Cruz was able to translate Calderon's florid style into speech acceptable for contemporary audiences is a tribute to his skill and finely-honed sensibilities…“ —Press-Telegram. ”It would be easy to reduce LIFE IS A DREAM to its fatalism versus free will paradox, but Cruz's translation strikes the chord of an even more reverberant and often-ignored theme: In the spiritual battle between destiny and self-determination, forgiveness, not willfulness or witchery, is man's only hope. Cruz's translation lays bare this subtlety…“ —Category305. ”…a muscular, expressive text…"
— Variety
Characters
| Character |
|---|
BASIL King of Poland |
SEGISMUND Prince |
ASTOLFO Duke of Muscovy |
CLOTALDO old man |
CLARION a comical servant |
ROSAURA a lady |
STELLA a princess |
ENSEMBLE soldiers, guards, musicians, servants, retinues, women |
Available Editions
Publication
Life is a Dream (Donmar Warehouse version) is a Spanish play written by Pedro Calderon and published by Nick Hern Books (1999).
Community Reviews
No community reviews yet
Buy Play
Paperback
Samuel French
From $13.19 total
Similar Plays
Plays with similar themes, style, and content.
