NAU Theater takes on site-specific performance at La Posada

Bernarda Alba
Bernarda Alba
Katie Gardea, left, plays Bernarda Alba, and and Carter Conaway is La Poncia in NAU Theater’s site-specific production of ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ at La Posada hotel in Winslow.

Northern Arizona University’s Theater Department will perform Federico Garcia Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba in a rare, site-specific performance on the grounds of the historic La Posada Hotel and Gardens in Winslow, March 28-April 6.

Bernarda Alba tells the story of a widowed and grieving woman and her strained relationships with her mother and five daughters over the course of eight years, a period in which no one is allowed to leave her house.

This performance will be the new adaptation of the play by playwright Emily Mann.

“What I really love about this story is that there is this continual clash of generations,” said director Christina Gutierrez. “It’s a fairly universal story among families.”

Lorca’s subtitle describes it as “a drama of women in the villages of Spain,” and the play’s all-female cast weaves its story through La Posada’s stunning backdrop, beginning in the garden and progressing through the lobby, an art gallery and the ballroom.

“In most site-specific pieces, you are working to fit the story into the space and often have to improvise with design elements,” Gutierrez said. “This story takes place in a Spanish manor house, and the beauty of La Posada is that 99 percent of the space is perfect for this script.”

The setting also provides for a more intimate audience experience, with only 40 seats available per show.

Performances of Bernarda Alba are free, and take place at 7:30 p.m., March 28-29 and April 4-5. Matinee performances will take place at 2 p.m. March 30 and April 6.

Due to limited seating capacity, advance reservations are necessary. To reserve a seat, email: NAUBernardaAlba@gmail.com.

La Posada Hotel and Gardens is located at 303 E. Second St. (Route 66) Winslow, AZ 86047.