Alejandro Rodríguez Álvarez, known as Alejandro Casona (3 March 1903 – 17 September 1965) was a Spanish poet and playwright born in Besullo, Spain, a member of the

Generation of '27 The Generation of '27 ( es, Generación del 27) was an influential group of poets that arose in Spanish literary circles between 1923 and 1927, essentially out of a shared desire to experience and work with avant-garde forms of art and poetry. ...

. Casona received his bachelor's degree in Gijon and later studied at the University of Murcia. After Franco's rise in 1936, he was forced, like many Spanish intellectuals, to leave Spain. He lived in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

until April 1962, when he definitively returned to Spain.

Biography

A teacher by profession, Casona expressed a strong educational vocation, inspired by the ideals of the Free Institution of Education, and his defense of progressive values in diverse cultural outreach projects such as Pedagogical Missions, created during the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII, and was di ...

. In this same vein, he made many excellent adaptations of classic plays and narratives, both for adults and youth. Furthermore, in all his original dramatic creations he knew how to convey messages in a deep and clear social commitment without relinquishing his undeniable poetic inspiration. Casona went into exile following the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

and, after passing through

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, settled for a long time in Argentina. In this country he enjoyed remarkable critical and commercial success. He did not return to Spain until 1962, where he remained until his death on 17 September 1965, in Madrid. Having been one of the most recognized figures of the Spanish, Mexican and South American scene, the alien's return provided him with a terrible disappointment, as the main authors and theater critics at the time considered his work outdated, the product of an era definitively finished.

Collections

*''Obras completas de Alejandro Casona'', Madrid, Aguilar, 1969. *''Teatro selecto'', Madrid, Escelicer, 1972.

Plays

*''El crimen de Lord Arturo'', Zaragoza, 1929. *''

La sirena varada ''La sirena varada'' is a Spanish play by Alejandro Casona written in 1934 during his stay in Valle de Arán. It is about a mermaid who falls in love with a man named Ricardo. It was released at Teatro Español in Madrid in the night of 17 March ...

'', Madrid, 1934. *''El misterio de María Celeste'', Valencia, 1935. *''Otra vez el diablo'', Madrid, 1935. *''El mancebo que casó con mujer brava'', Madrid, 1935. *''Nuestra Natacha'', Madrid, 1936. *''Prohibido suicidarse en primavera'', México, 1937. *''Romance en tres noches'', Caracas, 1938. *''Sinfonía inacabada'', Montevideo, 1940. *''Pinocho y la Infantina Blancaflor'', Buenos Aires, 1940. *''

Las Tres perfectas casadas ''Las tres perfectas casadas'' ("The Three Perfect Wives") is a 1953 Mexican comedy film directed by Roberto Gavaldón, based on the eponymous play by Alejandro Casona. It was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival. Synopsis The tranquili ...

'', Buenos Aires, 1941. *''

La dama del alba ''La dama del alba'' ("The Lady of the Dawn" in English) is a Spanish play written by playwright Alejandro Casona in 1944. It is a fantasy-drama in which Death personified is the main character. It takes place in a small village in the Spanish Pri ...

'', Buenos Aires, 1944. *''La barca sin pescador'', Buenos Aires, 1945. *''La molinera de Arcos'', Buenos Aires, 1947. *''Sancho Panza en la Ínsula'', Buenos Aires, 1947. *''Los árboles mueren de pie'', Buenos Aires, 1949. *''La llave en el desván'', Buenos Aires, 1951. *''A Belén pastores'', Montevideo, 1951. *''Siete gritos en el mar'', Buenos Aires, 1952. *''La tercera palabra'', Buenos Aires, 1953. *''Corona de amor y muerte'', Buenos Aires, 1955. *''La casa de los siete balcones'', Buenos Aires, 1957. *''Carta de una desconocida'', Porto Alegre, 1957. *''Tres diamantes y una mujer'', Buenos Aires, 1961. *''Carta de amor de una monja portuguesa'', Buenos Aires, 1962. *''El caballero de las espuelas de oro'', Puertollano, 1962. *''Don Rodrigo'', libretto for

Alberto Ginastera Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas. Biography Ginastera was born in Buen ...

's opera.

Screenplays

*''Veinte años y una noche'', 1941. Estudios Filmadores Argentinos. *''En el viejo Buenos Aires'', 1941. *''La maestrita de los obreros'', 1941. Estudios Filmadores Argentinos. *''Concierto de almas'', 1942.

Estudios San Miguel ''Estudios San Miguel'' (San Miguel Studios) was an Argentina, Argentine film studio that was active in the 1940s and early 1950s. It flourished during the golden age of Cinema of Argentina, and at its peak was one of the major studios in Buenos Ai ...

. *''Su primer baile'', 1942. Estudios Filmadores Argentinos. *''Cuando florezca el naranjo'', 1942. Estudios San Miguel. *''Ceniza al viento'', 1942. Estudios Baires. *'' Casa de muñecas'', 1943. Estudios San Miguel. *''Nuestra Natacha'', 1936 (Spanish version), 1943 (Brazilian Version) and 1944 (Estudios San Miguel). *''El misterio de María Celeste'', 1944. Estudios Sonofilm. *'' La pródiga'', 1945. Estudios San Miguel. *''Le fruit mordu'', 1945. Estudios Andes Films. *''Milagro de amor'', 1946. Estudios San Miguel. *''El abuelo'', 1946. Estudios San Miguel. *''El que recibe las bofetadas'', 1947. Producciones Ática. *''El extraño caso de la mujer asesinada'', 1949. Estudios San Miguel. *''La barca sin pescador'', 1950 (Argentinian version, Producciones Enelco) y 1964 (Spanish Version) *''Romance en tres noches'', 1950. Producciones Bedoya. *''Los árboles mueren de pie'', 1951. Estudios San Miguel. *''Si muero antes de despertar'', 1951. Estudios San Miguel. * ''

Don't Ever Open That Door ''Don't Ever Open That Door'' (Spanish:''No abras nunca esa puerta'') is a 1952 Argentine thriller film directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen and starring Ángel Magana, Roberto Escalada and Norma Giménez. It is a film noir in two separate epis ...

'' (1952). Estudios San Miguel. *''Un ángel sin pudor'', 1953. Estudios Andes Films. *''Siete gritos en el mar'', 1954. General Belgrano.

Productions

*''Retablo jovial, piezas breves escritas para el Teatro ambulante'', Mérida, 1967. *''Farsa y justicia del corregidor'', Valencia, 1970. *''Marie Curie'', written in collaboration with Francisco Madrid; la Habana, 1940. *''

El anzuelo de Fenisa ''Fenisa's Hook'' ( es, El anzuelo de Fenisa) is a play written by the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega. It was first published in 1617 in the eighth part of Lope de Vega's ''Comedias''. Based on the tenth tale of the eighth day of Boccaccio’s ...

'', by

Lope de Vega Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio ( , ; 25 November 156227 August 1635) was a Spanish playwright, poet, and novelist. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Age of Baroque literature. His reputation in the world of Spanish literature ...

, Buenos Aires, 1957. *''

El burlador de Sevilla ''The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest'' ( es, El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra) is a play written by Tirso de Molina. Its title varies according to the English translation, and it has also been published under the titles '' ...

'', by

Tirso de Molina Gabriel Téllez ( 24 March 1583 20 February 1648), better known as Tirso de Molina, was a Spanish Baroque dramatist, poet and Roman Catholic monk. He is primarily known for writing '' The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest'', the play from ...

, Buenos Aires, 1961. *'' Peribañez y el Comendador de Ocaña'', by

, Buenos Aires, 1962. *''

La Celestina ''The Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea'' ( es, Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea), known in Spain as ''La Celestina'' is a work entirely in dialogue published in 1499. It is attributed to Fernando de Rojas, a descendant of converted Jews, w ...

'', by

Fernando de Rojas Fernando de Rojas (c. 1465/73, in La Puebla de Montalbán, Toledo, Spain – April 1541, in Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain) was a Spanish author and dramatist, known for his only surviving work, '' La Celestina'' (originally titled ''Trag ...

, Granada, 1965. *''El sueño de una noche de verano'', (Spanish translation of ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'') by

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, Buenos Aires, 1962. *''Ricardo III'', (Spanish translation of ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'') by

. *''

Fuenteovejuna ''Fuenteovejuna'' () is a play by the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega. First published in Madrid in 1619, as part of ''Docena Parte de las Comedias de Lope de Vega Carpio'' (''Volume 12 of the Collected plays of Lope de Vega Carpio''),Edwards, ...

'', of

. *''El amor de los cuatro coroneles'', (Spanish translation of ''

The Love of Four Colonels ''The Love of Four Colonels'' is a play by the British writer Peter Ustinov, first performed in 1951. It is a fantasy set around military officers from the four Allied Occupation Powers (American, British, French and Soviet) of postwar Germany. ...

'') by

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

Poetry

*''La empresa del Ave María'', historical romance, 1920. *''El peregrino de la barba florida'', book of poems, 1926. *''La flauta del sapo'', book of poems, 1930.

Essays

*''El diablo en la literatura y en el arte'', thesis, 1926. *''El Diablo. Su valor literario principalmente en España''. *''Vida de Francisco Pizarro'', biographical. *''Las mujeres de Lope de Vega, vida y teatro''.

Novel

*''Flor de leyendas'', National Literature Award, 1932.

Children's Theater

*''El lindo don Gato, ¡A Belén, pastores!''; children's pieces. *''Tres farsas infantiles'', small comedies.

Notes

Bibliography

*J. Rodríguez Richart, ''Vida y teatro de Alejandro Casona'', Oviedo: I.D.E.A., 1963

External links

*www.alejandro-casona.co

(Spanish, English) {{DEFAULTSORT:Casona, Alejandro 1903 births 1965 deaths Spanish male dramatists and playwrights People from Asturias Generation of '27 University of Oviedo alumni 20th-century Spanish poets 20th-century Spanish dramatists and playwrights Spanish male poets 20th-century Spanish male writers Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in Argentina