The 1938 film version of Bodas de sangre remains the only sound picture featuring an actress who shared a personal friendship with Federico García Lorca. Margarida Xirgu Subirá moved between the theatrical stages of Barcelona and the cinematic landscapes of the Spanish-speaking Americas, maintaining a career as a stage actor, director, and theatre manager until her death in 1969.
Early Theater Career
Born in 1888 in Molins de Rei, Spain, Xirgu relocated to Girona in 1890 before settling in Barcelona in 1896. Her professional theater debut occurred in 1906 at the Teatre Romea, where she performed the character of Blanca in Mar i cel. Following this engagement, she achieved public success in 1908 with Joventut de príncep at the Teatre Principal. In 1911, Àngel Guimerà penned La reina jove specifically for her, the same year she founded her own theater company.
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Xirgu entered the film industry in 1909 with the production Guzmán el bueno. Her work spanned the silent era and eventually included sound film. Her 1938 performance in the film adaptation of García Lorca’s Bodas de sangre was filmed between February and March of that year. This production holds a unique position in film history, as it remains the only sound film in which she appeared. The movie did not receive a wide release, remaining unseen on American television and video formats, finally airing on Argentine television in January 1966.
Exile and Later Years
During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco in Spain, Xirgu entered into exile. She continued her professional activities in the Spanish-speaking Americas, contributing to the arts in Uruguay. She served in capacities including head teacher, theater manager, and director at institutions such as the Solis Theatre and the Comedia Nacional. She eventually obtained Uruguayan citizenship. Xirgu passed away in 1969 in Montevideo, Maldonado.
Legacy and Repatriation
Following her death, Xirgu was eventually interred in her birthplace of Molins de Rei, after the Catalan government arranged the repatriation of her remains in 1988. Her life remains a subject of academic and artistic interest, documented in a biography by author Antonina Rodrigo and covered by an obituary in The New York Times in 2018. Additionally, the opera Ainadamar, composed by Osvaldo Golijov with a libretto by David Henry Hwang, centers on her life and association with García Lorca.
Fast facts
- Born: 1888, Molins de Rei, Spain
- Died: 1969, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Marriage: Josep Arnall (m. 1910)
- Notable Stage Roles: Como tú me deseas, La casa de Bernarda Alba, Mariana Pineda
- Final Resting Place: Molins de Rei, Spain
- Primary Occupations: Actor, theatre manager, director, head teacher
Questions readers ask
What was Xirgu's connection to Federico García Lorca?
She was a personal friend of the poet and appeared in several of his works on stage, including the 1938 film version of Bodas de sangre.
Is the film Bodas de sangre widely available?
No, the film was not released on video and has never been shown on American television.
Achievements
- Worked as stage actor, film actor and theatre director
