Description
Santa Perpetua
Book Summary
Santa Perpetua is a play that addresses the delicate subject of historical memory in Spain through a true story that took place in Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca). The author, Laila Ripoll, constructs a piece that explores the conflict between the desire to remember and the need to forget, using the figure of a woman who decides not to get out of bed as a metaphor for a collective wound that remains open. The reader will find a text that investigates mass graves of the disappeared and the censorship that persists around these events, offering a profound reflection on the past and its echoes in the present.
What is it about?
The play is based on a real event in Ciudad Rodrigo: a woman who makes the decision not to get out of her bed. From this act, the author unfolds an investigation that reveals a "rosary of mass graves of the disappeared." Santa Perpetua thus becomes a vehicle for discussing the memory of the thousands of remains that lie underground, the imperative need to remember, and, at the same time, the will to silence and "bury" the truth that persists in another part of society. The play explores the tensions between both stances, showing how historical memory remains a "very delicate" subject and an open wound in places where censorship still exists.
Main themes
- Historical memory and its conflict with forgetting.
- Forced disappearances and mass graves in the Spanish context.
- Censorship and silence regarding events of the recent past.
- Collective mourning and the open wound of the Civil War.
- Individual resistance as an act of denunciation.
Who is it recommended for?
This work is recommended for readers interested in contemporary theater with social and political content, as well as those looking for a dramaturgical reflection on historical memory in Spain. It will also be of interest to students and professionals of the performing arts who wish to explore how theater addresses issues of justice, mourning, and censorship.
What this book offers
- A theatrical and poetic look at a real episode of Spanish historical memory.
- An analysis of the tension between remembrance and forgetting in contemporary society.
- A reflection on persistent censorship and the difficulty of addressing certain topics.
- A text that invites debate and critical awareness about the past.
Technical data
- Author: Ripoll (1964 -), Laila
- Publisher: Huerga y Fierro Editores
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: POETRY, PLAYS, THEATRICAL TEXTS
- Collection: THEATER
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: November 2011
- Number of pages: 96
- Weight: 145 g
Editorial review
Santa Perpetua is a work that stands out for its ability to turn a local and real event into a universal reflection on memory and silence. Laila Ripoll achieves a theatrical text that, without abandoning its poetic power, addresses with clarity a complex and still sensitive issue in Spanish society. Its value lies in the honesty with which it treats the contradictions of remembrance and forgetting, offering the reader a piece that invites reflection without falling into dogmatism. Recommended for those looking for committed, high-quality theater.