The play is divided into two parts, with most of the second half taking place earlier in time than the first half. At some points, characters in different temporal-spatial locations appear on stage at the same time.
The play is set in a number of different locations. It starts off at a press conference in the hospital where Lucía is being looked after. Other scenes take place in the nicely-furnished home of Estela and Hector; in an airport; in a bowling alley; in Manuel’s run-down apartment; and in the bar in Vienna where Sabina works. Lucía’s hospital bed remains on stage throughout. From time to time, a mysterious window cleaner appears, seemingly unnoticed by the other characters. Lucía’s ex-fiancé Jaime is in a wheelchair.
Sound and music are important in this play. Sabina is studying the Wiegenlied (Cradle Song) by Richard Strauss and sings it at a number of points. Sound helps convey the different locations, such as the noise of planes when Hector is at the airport and the sounds of the busy bar where Sabina works in Vienna. The heartbeat of an unborn baby can be heard near the end of the play, and then the cry of a newborn. The baby’s cry is accompanied by a recording of the Wiegenlied, sung by the famous opera singer Jessye Norman.
Minimum | Maximum |
---|---|
5 males | 5 males |
3 females | 3 females |
8 (total) | 8 (total) |
Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 29 October 2011.