I think "Ay, Carmela" has a lot to offer in the way of understanding better the history of Spain and more specifically the Spanish Civil War. True, the characters are a bit underdeveloped, but not so much that one doesn't "care what happens:" The tension of the situation in Spain is clearly felt in the theater as Paulino and Carmela perform, and although we don't really get to know any of the characters very deeply, you can't help but feel the power of the tragedy as Carmela lies on the stage dying amidst the chaos. Furthermore, there is a lot of symbolism that a viewer would not get without having some knowledge of the Civil War and Franco's dictatorship, such as Carmela being buried -*outside*- of the cemetery in the middle of nowhere.
Review of Oh, Carmela!
