Pablo Messiez, The Eyes

Argentine playwright and director Pablo Messiez’s Los ojos (2011) adapts to the theatre the classic nineteenth-century Spanish novel Marianela (1878) by Benito Pérez Galdós. In doing so Messiez gives the narrative a political twist, questioning the extent to which the domain of sight, or that which is superficially evident, is an accurate representation of reality.

In equal parts disturbing and provocative, the play received critical acclaim following its theatrical premiere in Madrid’s Teatro Fernán Gómez in 2011. Touching in particular on issues of immigration and disability, and incorporating contemporary dramaturgical techniques, the text offers a prime example of the latest developments in Argentine and Spanish theatre.

This new translation introduces English-speaking readers to this remarkable transnational and transtemporal work for the first time. The introduction includes a description of Messiez’s theatrical career, a discussion of the dynamics of new Argentine and Spanish theatre, and a critical analysis of the play, taking into account its relationship with Pérez-Galdós’s novel. Also included is an interview with the playwright conducted specially for this edition.

María Bastianes is a Research Lecturer at the Complutense University of Madrid (Theatre Institute of Madrid, ITEM). Alma Prelec is a postdoctoral researcher at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (University of London). Pablo Messiez is a recipient of the Max Award for the Performing Arts for Best Director (2016) and Best Show (2016, 2023).

See news item: Through the Eyes of Pablo Messiez (3 February 2025)

Reviews:

‘This recent translation of Pablo Messiez’s The Eyes is a timely intervention that asserts the value of Spanish and Argentine theatre traditions in a global context. This accomplished English version by Alma Prelec and María Bastianes, specialists in Spanish-language theatre, will be of immense benefit to scholars and theatre practitioners alike. With the book’s thoroughly researched Introduction, a carefully translated text, an interview with Messiez, and an extensive bibliography, there is a wealth of material to support both further research and, it is to be hoped, the eventual realization of an English-language production of the play.’ — Georgina Fooks, Modern Language Review 120.4, 2025, 579-81 (full text online)

Contents:

1-20	Introduction María Bastianes, Pablo Messiez, Alma Prelec, María Bastianes doi:10.2307/jj.21995453.3	Cite
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21-54	The Eyes: A Telluric Melodrama Pablo Messiez, Alma Prelec, María Bastianes doi:10.2307/jj.21995453.4	Cite
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55-64	Appendix: An Interview With Pablo Messiez Alma Prelec, Pablo Messiez, Alma Prelec, María Bastianes doi:10.2307/jj.21995453.5	Cite
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65-69	Bibliography Pablo Messiez, Alma Prelec, María Bastianes doi:10.2307/jj.21995453.6	Cite
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70-70	Back Matter Pablo Messiez, Alma Prelec, María Bastianes doi:10.2307/jj.21995453.7	Cite
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Bibliography entry:

Prelec, Alma, María Bastianes, and with an introduction by María Bastianes (trans.), Pablo Messiez, The Eyes, New Translations, 16 (MHRA, 2024)

First footnote reference: ³⁵ Pablo Messiez, The Eyes, trans. by Alma Prelec and María Bastianes, with an introduction by María Bastianes, New Translations, 16 (MHRA, 2024), p. 21.

Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Prelec, Bastianes, and Bastianes, p. 47.

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Cite this volume in MHRA author-date style

Bibliography entry:

Prelec, Alma, María Bastianes, and with an introduction by María Bastianes (trans.). 2024. Pablo Messiez, The Eyes, New Translations, 16 (MHRA)

Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Prelec, Bastianes, and Bastianes 2024: 21).

Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Prelec, Bastianes, and Bastianes 2024: 21.

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Permanent link to this title:

www.mhra.org.uk/publications/Pablo-Messiez-Eyes
www.mhra.org.uk/publications/nt-16