From Dictatorship to Democracy: The Recent Plays of Buero Vallejo (from “La Fundación” to “Música cercana”)

This study of the recurrent symbol of the prison (jail cell, cayman jaws, labyrinth …) and the use of the myth of Theseus provides a new perspective on Buero Vallejo’s theatre. In her reading of Buero’s tragedies, Martha Halsey draws attention to the constant allusions to immurement, entrapment and impasse, but also argues that the symbol of the prison carries within it the idea of reversibility: prison walls imply an exit and the writer’s purspose is to show his audience this exit. This dialectic of freedom is central to Buero’s work since his tragic vision never excludes hope and the prospect of change. Professor Halsey examines the opposing sets of symbols that often establish the dialectical structure of Buero’s plays and reflect his dynamic view of history. The writer emerges not only as the intransigent realist he is usually considered to be, but also as a visionary. This book offers an analysis of Buero’s seven most recent plays: La Fundación, La detonación, Jueces en la noche, Caimán, Diálogo secreto, Lázaro en el laberinto and Música cercana.