Description
Perpetual Peace
Book Summary
This work gathers the script and stage design of one of Juan Mayorga’s most emblematic plays, which premiered at the Teatro María Guerrero in Madrid under the direction of José Luis Gómez. Through the metaphor of three dogs subjected to successive tests to obtain a coveted white collar, the author transcends one of the most pressing ethical dilemmas of contemporary political and social life. A profound reflection on power, obedience, and the limits of morality.
What is it about?
The play presents a dramatic experiment in which three dogs compete in a rigorous training process to win a symbolic prize: the white collar. As the tests progress, the spectator witnesses an allegory about submission, violence, and the construction of authority. Mayorga uses this seemingly animal scenario to explore fundamental questions about human nature: How far are we willing to go to gain recognition? What social mechanisms lead us to accept unjust orders? The piece thus becomes a critical mirror of the power systems and structures of domination that operate in today’s society.
Main Themes
- Ethics and obedience: the conflict between individual conscience and external orders.
- Power and submission: analysis of the dynamics of domination in social and political relationships.
- Institutional violence: how power structures use coercion and punishment.
- Identity and recognition: the pursuit of validation through submission to a system.
- Political allegory: the metaphorical representation of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at students and professionals of theater, stage direction, and theatrical production, as well as playwrights and actors interested in contemporary socially engaged theater. It will also be of great interest to readers of political philosophy, applied ethics, and social sciences who are looking for a literary approach to the dilemmas of power and obedience. It is a work recommended for those who value reflective, critical theater with a strong symbolic charge.
What this book contributes
- A theatrical reading experience that invites ethical and political reflection.
- The complete script of a key work of contemporary Spanish theater, with detailed stage design instructions.
- An analytical tool for understanding the dynamics of power and submission in social and political contexts.
- A pedagogical resource for debates on morality, authority, and resistance in the classroom or in the theatrical sphere.
- The opportunity to study the play from the perspective of its staging, thanks to the included scenographic documentation.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Mayorga, Juan
- Publisher: Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y de la
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Theater direction and production, plays, theatrical texts
- Collection: PENDING COLLECTION
- Binding: Other
- Publication date: January 2008
- Number of pages: 80
- Weight: 375 g
Editorial Assessment
Perpetual Peace is presented as a short but conceptually dense play in which Juan Mayorga demonstrates his mastery in constructing political allegories that directly challenge the spectator. Including the stage design in this edition allows for a more complete understanding of the original staging proposal. It is an essential text for those seeking theater that does not just entertain, but questions the ethical foundations of our social coexistence. Its thematic relevance makes it a necessary read in a context of growing reflection on power and obedience.