Why did The Butterfly’s Evil Spell close after four performances?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Early 20th century black and white portrait of poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, seated and resting his face on his hand. — Federico García Lorca Federico García Lorca.

The Butterfly’s Evil Spell (El maleficio de la mariposa), which premiered in Madrid in 1920, closed after only four performances because it was ridiculed by both critics and audiences. The play, a symbolist work centered on a lovesick cockroach, failed to resonate with the public at the time of its debut.1