Banned in Spain for most of the 20th century, “The House of Bernarda Alba” has made its way over the Atlantic and into the University theater department.

The controversial play illustrates the extreme oppression of Spanish citizens during the fascist movement.

The dramatic play was written by Federico Garcia Lorca, a Spanish playwright.

In the late 1920s, Lorca visited Harlem. There, he was moved by the repression of minorities and the struggle of oppressed people everywhere – including people of different religions and political views, women and homosexuals, said Kristen Kundert-Gibbs, director of the production.

Upon his return to Spain, Lorca wrote a number of plays displaying strong female characters whose situations in life were further complicated by their oppressed status in society.

“Lorca used women as a vehicle to explore the repression of any particular part of the population,” Kundert-Gibbs said. “The search for self and struggle to express yourself is very crucial to any person, especially college students.”

The play focuses on Bernarda Alba, a widow living in a Spanish village during the 1930s. In an effort to protect her family, Alba restrains her daughters with extreme cruelty.

“She is constantly worried about her appearance, and that is everything to her – she would lose her life without it,” said Shana Youngblood, a graduate student from Miami who plays the lead role in the production.

“There are nights I have to hug the girls I’m working with because she [Bernarda Alba] is so cold and callous. I definitely have been trying to find joy in her since there’s not a lot of it,” she said. “She believes it’s not being cruel, but that it has to be done, and my biggest challenge is letting go of all my emotions,”

Even more challenging, “The House of Bernarda Alba” will be presented “unproduced,” which means there is essentially no budget for the production.

Typically, unproduced shows are ones that the University wants to present, but cannot afford to put on, said Jae Kyoung Kim, a graduate student from South Korea and dramaturg for the production.

“At some point, dogs are barking in the play, and we have to handle that,” Youngblood said. “It’s good for the actors because when you’re on set, it’s just you and the audience, and you have to live without realism.”

Tragically, Lorca was assassinated shortly after the completion of “The House of Bernarda Alba.” One of the theories surrounding his death points directly to his inability to conform with the right-winged direction his country was heading at the time.

“Repression of the arts is much like our repressions, especially in Georgia today,” Kundert-Gibbs said. “We’re facing issues regarding certain state legislatures who want to eliminate faculty members teaching what they call ‘queer studies,’ which is actually women empowerment and studies.”

Lorca’s plays were banned in Spain until 1975, which brought the death of Francisco Franco.

“Even though the play focuses on one village and one family, it represents all of our stories,” Kim said. “I hope the audience will feel more compassion in understanding different views.”