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Sergi Belbel's Theatre Of Pain, Sharon G. Feldman

Latin American, Latino and Iberian Studies Faculty Publications

Dins la seva memoria ("Within his Memory"), a Catalan play written by Sergi Bel-bel in 1986, begins in total darkness, an imprecise empty void in which the spectator hears only the deep, rhythmic gasps and sighs of the anonymous protagonist. ' As the stage lights slowly rise during this "preliminary" scene, Ell (or, "He," as the protagonist is generically called) is depicted on his knees, masturbating with his back to the audience. At first glance, his violent, self-inflicted pleasure may be interpreted as an ultimate affirmation of life; yet, his autoerotic gestures are also imbued with memories that carry …