Lope de Vega Crosses the Pond: The Fortunes of "Fuente Ovejuna" in the United States

Although "Fuente Ovejuna" (1619) ranks as Lope de Vega’s most popular work, it would not be until the 20th century (1936, to be exact) that we would see it translated into English. The first anglophone country to show interest in the play was the United States, and translated versions have appeared there ever since, with some making it to the stage, though to various degrees of success. This paper examines the reception of "Fuente Ovejuna" in the United States in both its (re)translated and original forms, as well as the numerous productions derived from the target texts. This study, which also considers the work’s paratextual reception, shows how different versions of the Spanish classic have approached its main subject and tropes from different perspectives, each influenced by the nature of the translators, the dramatic context in which the works were situated, and the sociocultural reality of the moment. Our findings attest to a near constant presence of the Spanish classic in the U.S. theater scene, though the play’s overall impact has perhaps been less than desired.