The Hands of God (2014)

The Hands of God (Las manos de dios-1957)

by Carlos Solórzano Fernández

A play in three acts

The countdown for a redeeming ceremony .

An artistic approach to the play “The Hands of God”, written by the latin-american writer Carlos Solosnano. The play was translated in Greek and adapted especially to be performed by this group of young artists. A ritual drama, starting with religion, it results in a total disputation of power, sneering at this awkward and frightened part of society.A myth, a sacred story presented as the absolute truth. Archetypal symbols and moral values are reversed to create an ironic, comic and melancholic atmosphere. In a society dominated by money and the Church, the self-sacrifice of a young girl leads to the destruction of the model of human behavior and cultural values.

THE STORY

In a village in Latin America, a young girl, Beatrice, is anxiously seeking ways to free her brother, who has publicly defended the property of his family which had been taken away by the big boss of the area who then imprisoned him for his disobedience. So Beatrice decides to seek help from the priest and the village guard. But they both ignore her and advise her to follow the orders of the big boss, just as they do.

Disappointed and angry at this injustice, she breaks out. Suddenly, a young and fascinating man approaches her claiming to be the Devil. She is really charmed by him that she believes him and accepts his help. The Devil encourages Beatrice to steal the jewels from the village church and, under his guidance, she meets the prison guard and offers them to him in return for her brother’s freedom. When the guard denies this offer and asks for more Beatrice is tempted to steal again.

Her second attempt fails; she gets arrested and led to public trial. Her advocate is the Devil but he has no power to save her anymore. Beatrice is condemned for rejecting the purity of the Church, objecting to the irrationality of the great boss’s financial power and claiming the freedom of the human being. She doesn’t feel pain or fear because she’s got what she wanted, to tell the truth, and now she is ready to be sacrificed.