Gregorio Martínez Sierra (6 May 1881 – 1 October 1947) was a Spanish writer, poet, dramatist, and theatre director, a key figure in the revival of the Spanish theatrical

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

in the early twentieth century.

Work as a poet and playwright

Martínez Sierra's literary career began at the age of 17 with the publication of ''El poema del trabajo'' ('The Poem of Work', 1898), a volume of poetry in the

modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

style. His subsequent books of poetry included ''Diálogos fantásticos'' ('Fantastic Dialogues', 1899), ''Flores de escarcha'' ('Frost Flowers', 1900) and ''La casa de primavera'' ('The House of Spring', 1907). As a playwright, Martínez Sierra was one of the few progressive dramatists whose productions achieved any measure of commercial success at the time of their composition. His major works include ''La sombra del padre'' ('Shadow of the Father', 1909), ''Primavera en otoño'' ('Spring in Autumn', 1911), ''Sólo para mujeres'' ('For Women Only', 1913), ''Mamá'' ('Mama', 1913) and ''El reino de Dios'' ('The Kingdom of God', 1916). ('Cradle Song', 1911), which has been called his "masterpiece", was popular across the Spanish-speaking world, and an English-language adaptation transferred to Broadway in 1927. Several of Martínez Sierra's plays were adapted into films, including (as '' Cradle Song'', dir.

Mitchell Leisen James Mitchell Leisen (October 6, 1898 – October 28, 1972) was an American director, art director, and costume designer. Film career He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments. He directed his fir ...

, 1933). The deft handling of female characters in Martínez Sierra's works has been attributed to the collaboration of his wife, the writer María Lejárraga. Since the publication of her memoir ''Gregorio y yo'' ('Gregorio and I', 1953), her authorship of many of his plays has been increasingly recognised by scholars.

Work as a publisher and director

Martínez Sierra's influence was largely as a publisher and director. Through his publishing house, Renacimiento ('Rebirth'), he translated the work of

William 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 ...

Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in ...

and

Santiago Rusiñol Santiago Rusiñol i Prats (, ; Barcelona 25 February 1861 – Aranjuez 13 June 1931) was a Spanish painter, poet, journalist, collector and playwright. He was one of the leaders of the Catalan ''modernisme'' movement. He created more than a ...

, and introduced the work of European playwrights including

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

and

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power ...

to Spain. The authorship of the translations published under Gregorio's name belongs undoubtedly to his wife, María Lejárraga, who was fluent in several languages (French, English, Italian, Catalan, Portuguese) and she had published translations under her own name before, after and during her attachment to him. In 1917 he was appointed Director of Madrid's Teatro Eslava and remained there until 1925, transforming the venue into Spain's first Art Theatre. Amongst a series of Spanish and foreign playwrights whose work he produced "in a new, forward-looking style",Edwards 1985, p. 131 it was at Martínez Sierra's invitation that

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...

created and staged, at the Eslava, his first play, '' El maleficio de la mariposa'' ('The Curse of the Butterfly'), in 1920.

Filmography

*''Mamá'', directed by Benito Perojo (1931, based on the play ''Mamá'') *''

Primavera en otoño Primavera en otoño is a 1933 Spanish-language American romantic comedy directed by Eugene Forde and stars Catalina Bárcena. Plot Agustina has been away at school when she returns home to Madrid to see the mother she hasn't seen in over eight ...

'', directed by

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(1933, based on the play ''Primavera en otoño'') *''Una viuda romántica'', directed by

Louis King Louis King (June 28, 1898 – September 7, 1962) was an American actor and film director of westerns and adventure movies in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

(1933, based on the play ''Sueño de Una Noche de Agosto'') *'' Cradle Song'', directed by

(1933, based on the play ) *''Yo, tú y ella'', directed by John Reinhardt (1933, based on the play ''Mujer'') *''Julieta compra un hijo'', directed by

Louis King Louis King (June 28, 1898 – September 7, 1962) was an American actor and film director of westerns and adventure movies in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

and Gregorio Martínez Sierra (1935, based on the play ''Julieta compra un hijo'') *''Susana tiene un secreto'', directed by Benito Perojo (1935, based on the play ''Susana tiene un secreto'') *, directed by Gregorio Martínez Sierra (Argentina, 1941, based on the play ) *', directed by Gregorio Martínez Sierra (Argentina, 1942, based on the novel ''Tú eres la paz'') *'' Los hombres las prefieren viudas'', directed by Gregorio Martínez Sierra (Argentina, 1943, based on the play ''Los hombres las prefieren viudas'') *''El amor brujo'', directed by

Antonio Román Antonio Román (9 November 1911 – 16 June 1989) was a prolific Spanish film director, screenwriter, film producer. Antonio Román was born Ourense, Spain on 9 November 1911. Román began directing films in the later 1930s starting with doc ...

(Spain, 1949, based on the ballet ''

El amor brujo ''El amor brujo'' (, "The sorcerer love") is a ballet by Manuel de Falla to a libretto by María de la O Lejárraga García, although for years it was attributed to her husband Gregorio Martínez Sierra. It exists in three versions as well as a p ...

'') *, directed by

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(Mexico, 1953, based on the play ) *''

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'', directed by

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(UK/Spain, 1959, based on the ballet ''

'') *, directed by

José María Elorrieta José María Elorrieta (1921–1974) was a Spanish screenwriter and film director. He wrote or directed a number of Spaghetti Westerns.Weisser p.168 Selected filmography Director * '' María Dolores'' (1953) * '' Flame Over Vietnam'' (1957) * ...

(Spain, 1961, based on the play ) *''

Bewitched Love ''Bewitched Love'' ( es, El amor brujo) is a 1967 Spanish drama film directed by Francisco Rovira Beleta and based on the eponymous ballet by Manuel de Falla. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was also ent ...

'', directed by

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(Spain, 1967, based on the ballet ''

'') *''

El Amor brujo ''El amor brujo'' (, "The sorcerer love") is a ballet by Manuel de Falla to a libretto by María de la O Lejárraga García, although for years it was attributed to her husband Gregorio Martínez Sierra. It exists in three versions as well as a p ...

'', directed by

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (born 4 January 1932) is a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. He has a long and prolific career th ...

(Spain, 1986, based on the ballet ''

'') *'' Cradle Song'', directed by

José Luis Garci José Luis García Muñoz (born 20 January 1944), known professionally as José Luis Garci, is a Spanish Film director, film director, Film, producer, critic, TV presenter, screenwriter and author. He earned worldwide acclaim and his country's fi ...

(Spain, 1994, based on the play )

Screenwriter

*''La ciudad de cartón'' (dir.

Louis King Louis King (June 28, 1898 – September 7, 1962) was an American actor and film director of westerns and adventure movies in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

, 1934) *''Dama de compañía'' (dir.

Alberto de Zavalía Alberto De Zavalia (4 May 1911 – 7 May 1988 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine film director and film producer. Biography De Zavalía was born in Buenos Aires to a middle-class, well-off family. He completed law school but never worke ...

, 1940) *'' La novia de la Marina'' (dir. Benito Perojo, 1948)

Director

*''

The Trial of Mary Dugan ''The Trial of Mary Dugan'' is a play written by Bayard Veiller. The 1927 melodrama concerns a sensational courtroom trial of a showgirl accused of killing her millionaire lover. Her defense attorney is her brother, Jimmy Dugan. It was first pr ...

'' (1931, co-director: Marcel De Sano) *''Julieta compra un hijo'' (1935, co-director:

Louis King Louis King (June 28, 1898 – September 7, 1962) was an American actor and film director of westerns and adventure movies in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

) * (1941) *' (1942) *'' Los hombres las prefieren viudas'' (1943)

Notes

References

* * * * * * * *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez Sierra, Gregorio Spanish male dramatists and playwrights Spanish publishers (people) Spanish theatre directors 1881 births 1947 deaths Spanish opera librettists Writers from Madrid 19th-century Spanish writers 19th-century poets 20th-century Spanish male writers 20th-century Spanish poets 20th-century Spanish dramatists and playwrights Spanish male poets 19th-century male writers