Company

Choreography: José Antonio
Music: Manolo Sanlúcar (original)
Costume Design: Pedro Moreno
Set Design: Pedro Moreno
Libretto: Manolo Sanlúcar (original)
Lighting Design: José Antonio

Prologue: At the Place of Punishment
A group of prisoners are serving their sentences in a quarry. Among them are Juan and Curro, husbands of two sisters, Soleá and Margara: the Mirri sisters. They were responsible for the death of one of the blacksmith’s sons. The women come to visit their husbands.

Scene Two: Between the Mirri Family and the Forge
The Mirri family lives in relative peace with their close neighbours, the blacksmiths. The father with his guitar; the barber uncle, who passes the idle hours sharpening his razor; Aunt Ana, always sitting outside her house. At the forge, meanwhile, four Gypsy men work the iron: the blacksmith and his three sons. One of them, Ramón, is in love with Soleá. The young blacksmiths’ father senses this and tries to prevent any friction between them. In the no-man’s-land between the Mirri house and the forge, people dance.

Scene Three (continuing from the previous scene): A Payo on the Road
The dancing turns into a full-blown celebration, interrupted by the arrival of the Payo: a proud young Andalusian gentleman with one thing on his mind — Soleá. The Payo flaunts his power and status, but Soleá gently rejects him. He leaves, looking down on the blacksmiths, but the seed has already been sown in Soleá.

Scene Four: Gathering Snails
The women of the village go out to gather snails. Among them are Soleá and Margara, followed by Ramón until he finally approaches them. Margara comes between the blacksmith and Soleá, revealing her love for Ramón and her desire to have him for herself. But he rejects her; he has eyes only for the woman he idealises: Soleá. Spurned, Margara leaves with an oath: “Mine or no one’s.”

Scene Five: A Market in the Square
Everyone comes to the village market to buy and sell. The Mirri family and the blacksmiths are there. The Guardia Civil attempt to remove the stalls that do not have permits, and Uncle Pili, the barber, comes to the defence of the unlicensed Gypsy traders. Meanwhile, Margara crosses the scene unnoticed, intent on revenge. The Guardia Civil sergeant pretends to arrest the barber, but it is merely a joke, prompting everyone to laugh and dance.

The market closes and the crowd begins to disperse. The Payo once again courts Soleá who, little by little, succumbs to the seduction of the handsome, wealthy young man. Ramón witnesses everything and suffers in silence. Having got what he wanted from Soleá, the Payo casts her aside. She is inconsolable, and Ramón tries to approach her. Soleá rejects him and the young blacksmith flees. Alone, Soleá dances her pain and her memories.

Scene Six (continuing from the previous scene): Forging Death
At the forge, Ramón is preparing a knife to avenge Soleá’s honour. At the other end of the stage, Soleá weeps over her sorrow. Once the weapon is finished, Ramón sets off in search of the Payo.

Scene Seven: On the Road
Margara, driven mad by her desire for revenge against her sister Soleá, finds relief in turning Juan against Ramón. She helps Juan escape from the place of punishment and urges him to kill Ramón.

The blacksmiths already know that Juan has escaped from prison, and the father and two of his sons set off in pursuit until they find him. Margara intervenes in the settling of scores over the blacksmith’s son whom Juan killed, but the fight becomes too brutal and, unable to stop them, she runs to find Soleá.

The blacksmiths mortally wound Juan and flee. Shortly afterwards, Soleá and Margara arrive to find him dying. Juan asks Soleá to finish what he was unable to do, placing a dagger in her hands. Soleá rejects the weapon and, as Juan dies, denies that Ramón has dishonoured her.

Ramón then arrives, wiping his knife with the Payo’s handkerchief and offering the bloodstained weapon to Soleá. Margara urges Soleá to kill and once again places the knife in her hand so that she can murder Ramón. At that moment, the entire Mirri family arrives, ready to flee the scene of the tragedy. Soleá forces them to leave, carrying Margara away with them.

Soleá picks up the Payo’s handkerchief and kisses it, before finally gathering beneath her shawl, across her lap, the two men — Ramón and Juan — who have died because of her.