Una nueva Odisea adaptada al teatro: El viajero perdido, de Telón Corto

Abstract

This article analyses the peculiarities of the dramatization of El viajero perdido (The Lost Traveler), a novel written by César Mallorquí (2005) and performed in 2006 by the Spanish theatre company Telón Corto, directed by Carlos Castel. El
viajero perdido is an adventure and coming-of-age novel that was conceived as a reinterpretation of The Odyssey, Homer’s epic poem. It tells the story of Félix Valbuena, a teenager who struggles to face reality while discovering which path to follow in the future. This, together with a love-at-first-sight experience, was the motivation behind his journey from Madrid to A Coruña to find his loved one. The Odyssey was the hypotext for the adventures that stemmed from the journey, thanks to which the protagonist takes steps towards a powerful personal transformation. After a brief description of the novel’s plot (§ 1), the relationship between the novel and the Homeric model is analysed (§ 2). Finally, the article explores the convergence and divergence between the novel and its dramatization, and between the latter and The Odyssey (§ 3). This dramatization was not only a reinterpretation of the texts, but also of the means used to convey the message. Overall, this approach highlights the presence of classic works in the modern world.