• Overview
• Staging information
• Translations
• Sample translations
• Production history

Scene

La sangre y la ceniza (Blood and Ash)is about four hours long. Because of this, Sastre states that he is happy for directors to shorten or omit some of the lengthier documentary-style scenes that deal with the historical aspects of Miguel Servet’s life.

The play takes place in three locations: Lyon, the Dauphine of Vienne in France, and Geneva, Switzerland. All scenes apart from three (one in each Part) take place indoors.

The interior spaces are as follows:

• Part One: Frellon’s house; A Dark Place; Prison; Basement; Frellon's house; Court
• Part Two: Inn; Church; Police Station; Court
• Part Three: Court; Prison; A Dark Place

Gradually, as the above shows, private and convivial spaces such as houses or inns are replaced by more oppressive locations. This structure reflects the increasing oppression of Miguel.

Each scene is preceded by a title. These are as follows:

Part One

• Prologue: In which some uniformed men destroy a statue, with little explanation
• Scene 1: Meeting between an Intellectual and an Editor, and the discussion they had
• Scene 2: Dr Miguel de Villanueva and his strange views
• Scene 3: Blood work
• Scene 4: ‘Long live the distribution of wealth!’ ‘Long live adult baptism!’ ‘Death to infant baptism!’
• Scene 5: Imaginary intellectual discussion and Miguel packs his bags
• Scene 6: Plague
• Scene 7: M.S.V.
• Scene 8: Heresy trial

Part Two

• Scene 1: Journey to Geneva and a sad goodbye
• Scene 2: Rosa’s inn
• Scene 3: The beginning of the end
• Scene 4: Of how Miguel was treated by the police in Geneva and of his injured dignity
• Scene 5: Journey into the night through the stranger’s monologue

Part Three

• Scene 1: The passion of Miguel Servet, told through various documents
• Scene 2: On God’s honour, the final sentence
• Scene 3: Penultimate speeches and sadness
• Scene 4: The slaughterhouse
• Epilogue: In which Sebastian Castellión speaks and the tragicomedy ends

Staging

La sangre y la ceniza (Blood and Ash) is a play that features a number of notable, and often anachronistic, staging elements. One of these anachronistic elements is the screen that projects messages to the audience – for  example, informing spectators of a change of date. The changes in location in the play are all marked by the dimming of the lights.

Other main staging requirements are set out below in chronological order:

Part One

• In the prologue scene a number of characters appear wearing Nazi uniforms. They destroy a statue of Miguel Servet.
• In scene 1 Frellon’s bookshop contains an armillary sphere and piles of books.
• The hanged body in scene 3 wears a mask of horror.
• In scene 5 the Miguel’s jailer is a dwarf with an abnormally large head.
• In scene 6 Miguel is among plague victims and wears a ‘fantastical mask’. Daniel is described as wearing a ‘swollen and monstrous mask’.
• In scene 7 an image of the now-printed Restitution of Christianity,written by Miguel Servet, is projected for the audience.
• In scene 7 there is a stove that Miguel uses to burn evidence before being arrested.
• In scene 8 a large crucifix stands at the back of the stage.
• At the end of scene 8 an effigy of Miguel is burnt. The play text states that open-air productions should in fact burn the effigy.

Part Two

• Scene 1 features a cyclorama.
• In scene 1 Miguel and his servant Benito are travelling on a famished horse and a donkey respectively. Both horse and donkey are made out of wood.
• In scene 5 a screen projects quotations from the German theologians, Martin Luther (1483-1546) and Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) – both key figures in the Protestant Reformation.

Part Three

• Stage directions state that the scene at court that was taking place at the end of Part Two has, in scene 1 of Part Three, now been rotated 180° so that the audience members are now facing the judges’ table as Miguel stands with his back to the auditorium. The court is filled with judges and advisors who are played by life-sized puppets on strings rather than human actors. Calvin appears on a raised platform at the side of the stage so that Miguel has to look up to address him.
• Scene 1 features ascreen projecting dates. On a sign neon, letters scroll past to give out news.
• In scene 2 the Council meeting that takes place consists of puppets, rather than actors. Perrin is made up to look like a puppet – the audience are only to know he is not one when he finally speaks. Even then he is to act in a puppet-like manner.
• In scene 3 the Sergeant wears a Wehrmacht helmet. Four sentries carry torches. They form a rectangle shape that resembles a coffin or tomb. The Executioner carries a small plate of food for Miguel.
• In scene 4 masks of horror and laughter are being worn by onlookers. Later, these masks all become masks of horror. Four characters wear Ku Klux Klan Hoods. At the end, smoke fills the stage and red lights flash as Miguel is burnt at the stake.

Sound Effects

The action in La sangre y la ceniza (Blood and Ash) is punctuated by sound effects that increase the tension and remind the audience of the fact that Miguel exists in a oppressive state in which religious powers seek to monitor thoughts and actions. The most notable sound effects in the play are as follows:

Part One

• In scene 3 the secret anatomy lesson is interrupted by the sound of military boots, air raid sirens and a Nazi chorus.
• In the second episode of scene 8 a tape recorder can be heard as well as Morse code. In the third episode of scene 8 drums beat and bells chime.

Part Two

• In scene 1 Miguel and his servant Benito ride on wooden horses. Trotting sounds depict the sound of the animals.
• On several occasions in Part Two a disembodied voice speaks through a loudspeaker, listing the accusations that have been made against Miguel.

Part Three

• In scene 1 the voices of the puppet judges and advisors are amplified by loudspeakers.
• In scene 1 Morse code can be heard. Also, the letters scrolling past on a projector screen make a noise.
• Near the end of scene 1 the sound of laughter fills the stage and is amplified by the loudspeakers.
• Air raid sirens are heard in scene 1 and scene 3.

Music

There are a number of songs and hymns in the play. In the prologue a Nazi chorus accompanies the sight of the soldiers destroying the statue of Miguel Servet. In Part Two a liturgical hymn can be heard on a number of occasions as a disembodied voice speaks through a loudspeaker, calling out the charges against Miguel. This liturgical hymn then merges with a Nazi chorus.

Besides the political/religious choruses and hymns, the play also features poetic ballads. These are sung by the Minstrel, the Gypsy and the Flamenco Singer. In scene 7 of Part One the Minstrel sings The Ballad of Everything Ends. This ballad talks about the fact that everything comes to an end, referring specifically to the plague that has struck Vienne. In scene 2 of Part Three the ballad is reprised. This time, however, the word ‘plague’ is replaced by the word ‘life’, as Miguel’s fate is slowly being decided. Sastre suggests that this ballad is also sung at the ending of the play. In scene 2 of Part Two the Gypsy sings a foreboding ballad warning Miguel to take care in Geneva. In scene 4 of Part Three, the Flamenco Singer sings a verse about Miguel’s appearance, bound and bloodied as he is led to the scene of his execution. The lyrics of all these ballads are provided, but no music is specified.

Cast number

Minimum	Maximum
34 males	54 males
1 female	1 female
35 (total)	55 (total)

Cast information

The character of Matthieu Ory, who presides over the initial trial of Miguel in scene 8 of Part One, is not mentioned in the cast list of many editions, despite having a speaking part. The cast number may vary considerably, depending on how many extra cast members (e.g. for crowd scenes) a director chooses to feature.

Characters

• FRELLON, Editor
• MIGUEL, Doctor
• DANIEL, Disciple
• DOCTOR SANGUINO
• JOHN THE ANABAPTIST
• SEBASTIAN CASTELLIÓN, Intellectual
• JAILER
• OLD SINNER
• BALTASAR, Printer
• BENITO, Played by the same actor who plays Daniel
• POLICE CHIEFS OF VIENNE and GENEVA, Performed by the same actor
• POLICE OFFICER 1
• MAUGIRON, Powerful official from Vienne
• CARDINAL TOURNON
• TOWN CRIERand USHER
• EXECUTIONERS OF VIENNE and GENEVA, Performed by the same actor
• ROSA, Proprietress of the Inn in Geneva
• POLICE OFFICER 2
• CALVIN, Minister
• SERVANT, Only has one line
• PERRIN, Member of the Council
• SERGEANT
• SENTRY 1
• FAREL, Minister
• ONLOOKER 1
• ONLOOKER 2
• MINSTREL
• STORY-TELLING GYPSY
• FLAMENCO SINGER
• PROTESTER, Only has one line

Extra Cast Members

• NAZI SOLDIERS
• ANABAPTISTS
• INVALIDS
• OFFICIALS OF THE HOLY OFFICES
• SENIOR OFFICIALS
• ONLOOKERS
• POLICE OFFICERS
• TWO SENTRIES
• FOUR HOODED MEN

Opposition Liberals

• X
• Y
• Z
• J
• K
• M

Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 5 October 2010.

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