From West by Northwest.org Arts & Letters Reviving the Spanish Shakespeare's "Fuente Ovejuna" By William S. Gregory Apr 22, 2005 Fuente Ovejuna is a brilliant example of total entertainment. Not only does it capture a wide spectrum of community experience it does so while evoking many entertainment styles. Comedy (both high and low) Drama, Romance, Political Intrigue, Fight Scenes, and Riots, all illuminate the stage in an exciting and colorful blend of spectacle and humanity. Lope de Vega excelled at creating popular theater. His art spoke with direct vivacity to the heart of his society. Lope's work is exciting, enlightening, and enchanting-- every story tells itself, you need no special knowledge or information to be swept into the dramatic current of events. In this time of the arts searching to find pertinence in a volatile world the works of Lope de Vega offer an example of theater of engagement (political, social, moral) which sacrifices nothing of entertainment value. The work of translating and adapting the classic "Fuente Ovejuna" has been both humbling and a joy. To spend time in the work of a genius like Lope de Vega is an honor and a tremendous education. My goal with this translation of "Fuente Ovejuna" was to create a play in English which expressed some of the joy, flexibility, exuberance, and theatrical savvy of the Spanish original. I hope the translation will act as a mirror, shining some of Lope de Vega's brilliance into corners where it had not previously reached. My desire is that Lope de Vega's work will be better known in its diversity and pertinence to today's culture. For more information visit: Miracle Theater Group, Teatro Milagro "Fuente Ovejuna" runs April 22 through May 14. "Fuente Ovejuna: Social and Political Contexts," is a participatory series of public lecture-discussions and post-production talkbacks. Each scholar will approach the play from a different perspective, fostering a diverse and layered understanding of the issues at stake. This series is made possible by the generous support of the Oregon Council for the Humanities. © Copyright 2000-2004 by West by Northwest.org