House of Desires
Philosophically speaking, René Descartes told us in the 17 th century " Cogito, ergo sum " ( Latin: "I think, therefore I am"). But perhaps a Mexican nun came closer to the mark when she wrote a play in the same century whose subtitle might have been, "I scheme, therefore I am."
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz wrote House of Desires (Los empeños de una casa , or literally, The Trials of a Noble House ) in 1683 in Mexico City, and it was first performed for the viceroy and vicereine in that year. It will be performed at Duke in October in Reynolds Theater (Oct. 19-29).
Known for her amazing intellect and talent and her insistence on pursuing her interests at a time when women had few options, Sor Juana is recognized as a proto-feminist. Because a convent was the only place where a woman could follow a path of learning and writing, she joined the Hieronymite Order, which fortunately allowed her the freedom to receive the most interesting people of her time as visitors.
She was so famous for her scholarship, in 1664 the viceroy held a competition with her and 40 of the most learned men of the city, and she was said to have demolished the test "like a royal galleon defending itself against a few rowing boats."
Rafael Lopez-Barrantes , Senior Lecturing Fellow in the Department of Theater Studies, will direct House of Desires . "It is a comedy of errors and intrigue," says Lopez-Barrantes. "It is not that different from Friends or Seinfeld . The characters are always plotting - they are continually scheming to satisfy their desires. They are always thinking, 'I can make it happen if I just do this or that, then surely he or she will respond in this or that way.'"
Of course, things never work out in a Baroque comedy the way the characters imagine. Baroque drama by its nature is elaborate and complex and filled with emotional exuberance. "It is our human condition that we cannot believe that things do not work out the way we imagine," says Lopez-Barrantes. "Sor Juana is very playful with words and the comedy is in the concocting. She gives her characters the magical power of words and in their self-serving way, they attempt to use language to conquer. The contemporary translation by Catherine Boyle makes the piece very accessible for modern audiences. It is an amusing and delightful play."
Lopez-Barrantes wants his students to examine the nature of desire in all its manifestations. "Students are at an age where they are filled with desire - to get an education, to be successful, to find a fulfilling career, to find a partner. Desire at its most basic is a need to feel connected.
He will ask his students to deprive themselves of something simple for a week - perhaps sodas - and he thinks they will learn something about desire. Perhaps they will relate to the character Doña Ana's comment, " If he is already mine, what is there left to desire?"
Amir Ofek, the Theater Department's Visiting Lecturer in Design, is designing the set and costumes for House of Desires . "It has been a splendid collaboration. It is taking a very organic path," says Lopez-Barrantes. "Sor Juana's 17 th century verbal ingenuity, Amir's visual magic, and our students' great talent will make for an entertaining evening of theater."
House of Desires will play in Reynolds Theater, Bryan Center, West Campus, October 19-21, 27-28 at 8:00 p.m. and October 29 at 2:00 p.m. (parents weekend).
www.duke.edu/web/theaterstudies for play information.
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