Introduction
Contemporary dramaturgy tends to make emphasize issues, situations, and occasions directly associated with real life. To that end, dramaturgs aspire to embody their personal experience on the stage and in their scenarios. Mariana Eva Perez is a significant representative of such an approach. Below, rationale regarding the fact that her work, Instructions for a Butterfly Collector, may be inserted in the field of the dramaturgy of the real will be provided.
The Essence of Dramaturgy of the Real
The dramaturgy of the real affirms the performative and living embodiment of its societal character, which means the distinguishable connection and intersection with present life. The described practice adheres to the principle of moving away from the art universe and appealing to the real one (Crespo 23). In this framework, the focus is mainly on a tangible viewer and his or her perception of reality founded on daily routine issues. It aims to demonstrate the undiminished beauty of everyday life’s simpleness and definiteness. This kind of dramaturgy proclaims the new era of real presence. In this regard, the new practice is primed to depict not aesthetic constructions but rather human interactions – it makes a character being understood through the meetings with others. Then, it should be noted that the biographical space – that is provided by the representatives of the dramaturgy of the real – corresponds to the subject and is placed in the intimate sphere, which results in the subject’s presence in the real scenes of the past.
Instructions for a Butterfly Collector’s Relation to Dramaturgy of the Real
In the plot of Instructions for a Butterfly Collector, a young woman is in a dusty basement ideating life from the tiny pieces of hope. She glances at the butterfly that was put in a wooden entomological box with a glass lid (Perez 5). During her manipulations with this butterfly, she recalls her life in the form of a monologue. The latter is intimate and is addressed to her brother, whom she has been longing for life. From her words, it becomes clear that the brother turned out to be not what she expected.
At this point, Perez’s work’s relation to the dramaturgy of the real may be justified. According to Montes, “Perez drew from her personal experiences as the daughter of Desaparecidos and the biological sister of an appropriated child in writing Instrucciones para un coleccionista de mariposas at the age of twenty-five” (94). Perez was continuously looking for her brother, who was born in captivity. When she finally met him, the latter rejected his biological identity. Such a state of affairs resulted in a painful psychological experience that Perez expressed in Instructions for a Butterfly Collector.
The abovementioned aspects seem to affirm that this work may be inserted in the field of the dramaturgy of the real. First, it is directly associated with reality because the entire monologue contains a plethora of realistic formulations and details. Second, it is founded on the personal experience of the author, the story that took place indeed.
Conclusion
To conclude, Instructions for a Butterfly Collector by Mariana Eva Perez was explored through the lens of the dramaturgy of the real. The essence of the latter was provided, which served as a basis for the whole discussion. It was proved that Perez’s work is a part of this kind of dramaturgy as it is founded on personal experience and realistic attributes of life.
Works Cited
Crespo, Juan. “Dramaturgias de lo Real en la Escena Contemporánea.” The Reconquest of Reality in Contemporary Theatre, Pause 33, 2011, pp. 12–26.
Montes, Noe. Memory, Transitional Justice, and Theatre in Postdictatorship Argentina. Southern Illinois University, 2018.
Perez, Mariana. “Instrucciones Para un Coleccionista de Mariposas.”Kamchatka, no. 3, 2014, annexo 3–10., Web.