A snapshot of the Spanish Civil War is brought to life in At the Barricades: Elena (Stephanie Del Bino), Anthony (Sam Hood Adrian), and Jim (James Clements), volunteers in the Abraham Lincoln brigade, are united in the fight against Francisco Franco’s fascist army during the conflict.
At the Barricades, a play drawn from original sources by James Clements and Sam Hood Adrian, explores the price of freedom and the complexities of political idealism. The play highlights the fight of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, a battalion of international volunteers numbering roughly 2,800 Americans who fought on the side of the Republicans (the democratically elected government) during the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) against the Nationalists, the rising fascist dictatorship under Generalissimo Francisco Franco.
Walter (Devante Lawrence) contemplates his life back home and the sacrifices being made for freedom.
Set in barracks not too far from the frontline, the play centers on a motley crew fueled by idealism. There are two Spaniards, Elena (Stephanie Del Bino), a professor who believes in equality for women, and Diego (Edu Diaz), the commander of the group that has been fighting to protect their freedom. Three Americans are also present: Walter (Devante Lawrence), a porter, and Victoria (Chelsea Sutherland), a nurse, have joined because, as black Americans, they are all too familiar with oppressive power; and Anthony (Sam Hood Adrian), a white man motivated by boredom and philosophy. Jim (James Clements), a Scot, has joined because he wanted to escape a life of poverty and give his life purpose.
Each is influenced by the injustice of oppression felt in their lives. Walter signed up because he “knew exactly what fascism was before I came here. What it looks like. How it feels. You white folks may not call it that back home, but from where I sit, it’s exactly the same, and this is my chance to actually do something about it.” He meets the challenge of war with a level head, but they are not all so level-headed.
Much of war is waiting, which gets on Anthony’s nerves. When he ends up in combat, his nerves are shot afterwards, and he becomes a shell of himself. Elena finds him in the barrack trembling and praying.
Elena: What do you pray for?
Anthony: I pray for the people in Spain, that they don’t end up with a dictator. Hell, I pray for the people of America, we don’t end up with one, too. I pray for my buddies. And frankly I pray for the Dodgers. My baseball team [...] And I pray I live. I pray I don’t die here.
Frederica Borlenghi and set designer Frank J. Oliva have seated the audience around three sides, with makeshift living quarters, complete with cots, a side table, a small dining table, books, and other military paraphernalia, piled up around the edges. Visually, this creates the closeness inherent in barracks life, but there are moments when the actors have their backs to the audience, making it hard to hear the dialogue.
Captain Diego (Edu Diaz) is a powerful leader for the ragtag, international volunteers that make up the Abraham Lincoln brigade. Photographs by Pablo Calderón-Santiago.
Upstage conjures the space of war, with planks of wooden steps serving as lookout stations and a backdrop of rocks and barbed wire to indicate the space beyond the encampment. Borlenghi’s direction effectively moves the action back and forth between the group united as a troop—marching, singing, and moments of drinking and merriment—with intimate scenes as characters meet in pairs in the barracks and the psychological impact of the war is revealed in these pairings as characters reveal their hopes, dreams, and nightmares.
Adrian Yuen’s skillful lighting design highlights the contrast between the interior of the barracks and the exterior; it is complemented by Stephanie L. Carlin’s soundscape of train whistles and gunshots interspersed with period songs of the war, including ¡Ay Carmela!, the song of the Republican troops. Johanna Pan’s costumes, a mix of plainclothes and military garb, give the group a ragtag and realistic feel.
As the war drags on, Elena and Victoria grow to have opposite views. Elena becomes worried about the deaths of so many, on both sides. Victoria grows more fervent and justifies the loss:
If we stop fighting, things will never change. Yes, it is exhausting, and painful, and sometimes it feels like the world itself is just one never-ending war, but how can we say it is not worth it?
In history, when the ugly face of fascism rears its head, those who believe in democracy and freedom will fight against it. But who lives and dies in war is as arbitrary as the toss of a coin. The Abraham Lincoln Brigade brought men and women from all over the world to fight bravely alongside one another against tyranny.
The production of At the Barricades by What Will the Neighbors Say? runs through June 29 at MITU580 (580 Sackett St., Brooklyn). Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; matinees are at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m., with an additional show on June 29 at 2 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit neighbors.thundertix.com.
Playwrights: James Clements & Sam Hood Adrain
Director: Federica Borlenghi
Set Design: Frank J. Oliva
Lighting Design: Adrian Yuen
Costume Design: Johanna Pan
