Performance in a Post-Human Age

Performance in a Post-Human Age

Performance in a Post-Human Age

In January 29th I taught a seminar on Digital Theatre within the projecct Performance in a Posthuman Age and The Circus of Freaks.

It was my first experience teaching with simultaneous translation. The translator was perfect, and the seminar very engaging for all the students, who at the end of it posed brilliant questions, shared their doubts, and gave me wonderful feedback. It was a lovely experience made possible by the wonderful Seda İlter, curator of the project, and I couldn’t be more thankful I had the opportunity to participate in it.

Performance in a Posthuman Age and The Circus of Freaks was the second research project of digitalLABperformans.

The project posits the theories of ecocriticism and ecofeminism in the context of posthuman and focuses on the intersection of these theories and theatre and performance art.

The project was supported by the British Council Creative Collaborations Grant Program (@turkeybritishcouncil).

The physical activities of the program were held in Salt Galata (@salt_online) as part of Salt’s Open Rehearsals program.

Two open rehearsal presentations which include dramaturgy laboratory outputs and eight different seminars were shared with the audience within the scope of the project, which was supported by London University, Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theater.

The Freaks Circus Dramaturgy Laboratory focuses on the iconic gothic characters of posthuman literature, Shakespeare’s supernatural heroes, and the monsters of Anatolian geography, inspired by ecofeminist thinker Donna Haraway’s images of cyborgs, freaks, and monsters. Within the scope of the workshop, texts on mythological and literary characters were reinterpreted in the context of ecocriticism and ecofeminism with actors and written.

Curators: Şule Ateş, Seda İlter (@atess.sule, @sedailter)
Director: Şule Ateş
Dramaturg: Eylem Ejder, Miran Bulut (@do_las_mak, @miranbulut)
Communication and Visual Design: Yaşam Özlem Gülseven (@yasamozlem)

Artivismo Digital para la Generación Z

Artivismo Digital para la Generación Z

GenZ

Artivismo Digital

Esta página se ha creado para alojar los recursos compartidos o utilizados por Beatriz Cabur durante su curso para profesores sobre Artivismo Digital para GenZs.

Este curso se ha impartido a profesores de secundaria en España como parte del programa de Teatro y Coeducación en el siglo XXI, que pretende promover la enseñanza de la igualdad y la diversidad sexual a través del teatro, entendido este como herramienta educativa. Se hace necesario que el profesorado conozca y tenga acceso a muestras significativas de nuestra cultura contemporánea, que nunca consigue espacio en los libros de texto, con especial atención al teatro escrito, dirigido e interpretado por mujeres, que trabajan actualmente con una conciencia clara de su posición como mujeres en el mundo y con un compromiso con la educación. Este curso, por tanto, viene a cubrir este hueco de los currículos educativos que ven difícil cumplir y aplicar esta necesaria Ley de Igualdad por falta de recursos.

Si estás interesadx en hablar con Beatriz para que imparta este curso en tu institución haz click aquí.

Para analizar y compartir con el alumnado

Para analizar y compartir con el alumnado

15 + 15 =

Digital Theatre Workshop

Digital Theatre Workshop

dtw

The Future of Theatre

This page has been created to host the resources shared or used by Beatriz Cabur during her Digital Theatre Workshop. This Digital Theatre Workshop has been taught onsite at the University of London, at the RESAD Madrid and several times online for audiences and students anywhere in the world.

If you want to book Beatriz to teach this workshop click here.

13 + 15 =

2022-2023 Season

2022-2023 Season

Some highlights of my last term of 2022 are the workshops I taught in the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain:

The essay on my own journey as a theatre maker published by the Academia de las Artes Escénicas in Spain.

And the end of the development stage of Life is a Dream to be performed in New York. I have also translated this piece into Spanish because it will have a lovely life in Spain and with Spanish speaking audiences anywhere.

Now onto the next thing!

Sacrifice: A Clytemnestra Story

Sacrifice: A Clytemnestra Story

Sacrifice: A Clytemnestra Story

In 2012 I was closely connected to a group called The Internationalists, they held a playwriting contest in which the prize was getting either a reading or a production of your play in five different countries. In that year, the winner was The Hummingbirds, by Garret Jon Groenveld. I got to direct it in Spain.

Read the annoucement we did about it here, have a look at the gorgeous poster we had for it here, read about the presentation here, and about the second run here.

It was a lovely experience, specially because Garret came all the way from San Francisco to see it. He slept through it because he was terribly jet lagged but I took him out to party and here we are. Almost ten years later, still admiring each other’s work, still caring about each other.

(He didn’t really slept through the whole thing, I was adding a bit of drama to this post. Read the review he wrote about the show here.)

Garret Jon Groenveld is one of the best playwrights out there right now. His texts have this particular quality that makes you realise you are in the presence of greatness.

So after all these years, he called me again to direct a reading of his latest play and we did “Sacrifice: A Clytemnestra Story” on Sunday 7 November at 7:00PM, at The Cockpit Theatre in London.

Sacrifice – A Clytemnestra Story by Garret Jon Groenveld

The classical Greek story through her eyes: A Queen is often asked to give up what she wants – for her country, for her sister, for her husband – when it comes to her daughter – what will she do?

Denise Pitter, Clytemnestra
Esther Tan, Iphigenia
Garret Groenveld, playwright
Beatriz Cabur, director

Video Credits from the show

Denise Pitter as Clytemnestra and Esther Tan as Iphigenia in a still from the show

Denise Pitter and Esther Tan in rehearsals

Denise Pitter and Esther Tan in rehearsals

La responsabilidad de crear un mundo igualitario

La responsabilidad de crear un mundo igualitario

La responsabilidad de crear un mundo igualitario

La responsabilidad de crear un mundo igualitario es una conferencia que impartí en unas jornadas para profesores coordinadas por Pilar Jódar. La revista Godot la publicó el 22 de Septiembre de 2021. El texto íntegro está a continuación.

 

Hola a todas y todos.

 

¿Cómo estáis?

 

Antes de empezar me gustaría darle las gracias a la locomotora que es Pilar Jódar, por invitarme a participar en estas jornadas en las que tan bien acompañadas y acompañados estamos, por dramaturgas y asistentes.

 

Muchas gracias, Pilar por el trabajazo y enhorabuena por el resultado.

 

Muchas gracias también a Rocío Jódar, Carmen Mangas, Blanca Rivero, Pedro Cortés y María Fernández por su trabajo sobre mi obra.

 

Es un honor.

 

Le he dado muchas vueltas a qué compartir con vosotras y vosotros hoy.

 

Por un lado, he pensado en qué sería lo más interesante para vosotras y vosotros dentro de mi carrera profesional.

 

Por otro lado, en qué sería lo más práctico que podría compartir que tenga aplicaciones directas en vuestras aulas.

 

En tercer lugar, considerando el material que se iba a presentar hoy aquí, antes de mi intervención, he pensado que quizá os interesaría que os diera la perspectiva única que tuve desde detrás de las bambalinas, sobre lo que acabamos de ver. ¿Cómo lo escribí? ¿Por qué? ¿Cuándo se estrenó? ¿Cómo se recibió? ¿Qué impacto ha tenido?

 

Considerando esta tercera opción he releído las obras que acabamos de tratar y revisitado mi propio corpus en general.

 

Y me he sorprendido a mí misma.

 

Me gustaría recapacitar sobre ello un momento y compartirlo con vosotras y vosotros.

 

Os explico lo que me ha sorprendido…

 

En 1996 escribí mi primera obra dramática.

 

La obra se titula “No quiero molestar a nadie”, es un acercamiento a las personas sin hogar que mendigan en el metro de Madrid. La protagonista es una mujer, madre de una niña de 4 años.

 

Pero el foco no está en las razones que hacen que una mujer se encuentre sola en esa circunstancia.

 

La obra no tiene una perspectiva de género en absoluto y la maternidad de la protagonista no se recoge más que en una frase por la que pasa en una retahíla que recita monótonamente, una y otra vez, a los pasajeros de cada vagón.

 

En 1998 escribí y me publicaron “Cuadro de sábanas”.

 

Dos amigas hacen una cama en la que una de ellas acaba de dormir con un hombre casado. A pesar de lo que pueda parecer, el texto tiene cero perspectiva de género. Los temas centrales de esta obra son las relaciones de pareja y la fidelidad.

 

En “VITRO” en el año 2000, escribí uno de los personajes femeninos más fuertes e independientes que os podáis imaginar: Martina Bergström.

 

Bergström es una palabra compuesta cuya raíz es literalmente “montaña”. Así de fuerte quise hacer a Martina.

 

Pero pesar de lo fuerte e independiente que es, tampoco representa ni participa en una lucha social contra las estructuras establecidas.

 

Martina, es la única mujer en un reparto de seis personajes, y lucha sola contra todos los hombres que se encuentra por delante. Sola.

 

En estas tres primeras obras mis protagonistas son mujeres.

 

Cuando salgo al mundo profesional, después de estudiar cuatro años en la universidad, en las siguientes ocho obras que escribo, mis protagonistas, sin yo decidirlo conscientemente, son todos hombres. Ocho obras.

 

Creo que ahora es un buen momento para definir la misoginia internalizada: La misoginia internalizada es la internalización involuntaria de los mensajes sexistas presentes en nuestra sociedad y cultura.

 

Después de estudiar a todos los grandes hombres del teatro universal con sus grandes hombres protagonistas y sus grandes hombres directores, escribí ocho obras por ellos, sobre ellos y para ellos.

 

Seis años tardé en poder escribir otra protagonista femenina. Erika Adler.

 

Estamos ya en 2006.

 

La ascensión y caída de Erika Adler” es una obra en formato de falso documental, en la que Erika Adler es el único personaje ficticio en un reparto de figuras históricas. Y otra vez Erika, una mujer sola, lucha sola contra todos los hombres de su vida.

 

Saltemos hasta 2013, han pasado siete años más en los que he escrito y montado 5 textos nuevos.

 

Ha empezado mi proyección internacional.

 

Ya he estrenado tres veces en Nueva York, donde me invitan a ser miembro de The League of Professional Theatre Women y de otras asociaciones internacionales, estoy cómoda en mi carrera y feliz en mi vida personal.

 

Y en ese momento, cuando empiezo a conocer y a admirar mujeres en la cima de su carrera, y que se ayudan las unas a las otras, leo un artículo de Geena Davis[1], actriz y fundadora del instituto para la igualdad de género en Hollywood.

 

Lo que más me llama la atención del artículo es una estadística que dice que en las escenas en las que aparecen masas o grupos de personas en películas solo el 17% de esos grupos está formado por mujeres, en vez del 50.52% que sería lo representativo de la realidad.

 

Pero el artículo no se queda ahí, en él, Geena da dos consejos para escritoras y escritores, y con esos consejos deja caer la gota que colma el vaso que reorienta mi carrera dramática.

 

Geena dice:

 

Primer consejo: Revisa los proyectos en los que ya estás trabajando y cambia algunos de los nombres de los personajes por nombres de mujeres. De un solo golpe, has creado algunos personajes femeninos coloridos y no estereotipados que podrían resultar aún más interesantes ahora que han tenido un cambio de género. ¿Qué pasa si el fontanero, el piloto o el arquitecto es una mujer? ¿Y si el taxista o el político intrigante es una mujer? ¿Qué pasa si los dos agentes de policía que llegan a la escena son mujeres, y no significa nada?

 

El segundo consejo es: Al describir las escenas en las que aparece una multitud, escribe en el texto: “Se reúne una multitud, de la que la mitad son mujeres”. Puede parecer extraño, pero os prometo que, de una forma u otra, si no lo escribes en el texto, en el set ese día la multitud resultará ser solo un 17 por ciento de mujeres. Increíble pero cierto.

 

Lo que Geena me descubre con sus consejos son dos cosas: Mi poder y mi responsabilidad.

 

Si yo lo escribo, pasa.

 

¿Cómo no lo voy a escribir?

 

Y en este momento porque busco otras cosas encuentro el proyecto “365 Mujeres al Año”.

 

Y mi poder y mi responsabilidad se convierten en mi misión.

 

Así vienen:

 

En 2015: “Nefertiti y PIII”. Sobre los abusos de poder en el entorno laboral y la sumisión al patriarcado.

 

En 2016: Fundar La Liga de las Mujeres Profesionales del Teatro en España

 

y “Breakfast at Daddy’s”, sobre los derechos reproductivos, el aborto y la relación paterno filial.

 

En 2017: “LIL’ Bird”, rompiendo estereotipos físicos.

 

y “The Mind-Boggling Shrinking Woman” sobre la violencia obstétrica y la ansiedad postparto.

 

En 2018: “LIL’ Bird 2”, sobre la relación materno filial, rompiendo estereotipos de género.

 

En 2020: “Goodbye Mother”, sobre la violencia doméstica y el sistema de apoyo que la sustenta.

 

En 2021: “Childbirth-19” sobre el racismo sistémico, la maternidad, la opresión y la violencia obstétrica.

 

y mi versión de “La vida es sueño”, que se estrena el mes que viene en Nueva York, sobre la violación, el patriarcado, el poder, las emociones, la opresión, el abuso, la sumisión y el sexismo, el discurso del odio…

 

 

Por fin aparecen en mi obra, no sólo mujeres protagonistas con un espectro más amplio sino también personajes de otras etnias.

 

Poder y responsabilidad traducidos a la página y al escenario.

 

Esto es el Teatro de la Agencia.

 

Hemos llegado al título de mi presentación. ¿Os acordáis? “El teatro de la Agencia y su aplicación en el aula?”

 

¿Pero qué es la Agencia[2]?

 

 

En el ámbito de la filosofía y la sociología, se denomina “Agencia” a la capacidad que posee una persona para actuar independientemente en el mundo y tomar, con libertad, sus propias decisiones.

 

Por el contrario, la “estructura” son aquellos factores de influencia, como clase social, religión, género, etnia, capacidad, costumbres, etc., que determinan o limitan a los agentes y sus decisiones.

 

 

¿Y qué características tiene el “Teatro de la Agencia”?

 

Varias. Por ejemplo:

 

Las líneas que separan personajes y actores no están definidas en todo momento.

 

A veces, la audiencia no sabe si el cuerpo que se dirige a ellos es una persona real o un personaje.

 

Es común que los actores entren y salgan del personaje a lo largo de la obra y que la cuarta pared se rompa constantemente.

 

Es un teatro posmoderno en el sentido de que puede haber una historia, o varias, pero no importa y hasta se puede dejar inconclusa.

 

¿Es esto una característica de una dramaturgia más femenina?

 

Quizá, porque lo que importa no es “el viaje del héroe”, son las consecuencias emocionales en los personajes o personas en escena y el arco que va desde la opresión a la reclamación de su agencia y su poder.

 

En este tipo de teatro la verdad es cruda, abierta, honesta, hay fuerza en la vulnerabilidad.

 

Hay rabia contra la sociedad.

 

Hay una sensación de campo de batalla, de guerra.

 

El mayor conflicto.

 

La urgencia más imperiosa.

 

Es un teatro que también se preocupa por los sentimientos de la audiencia abiertamente.

 

Es un teatro sobre sanación e inclusión, que por extensión al viaje de los personajes o directamente interpelando y estableciendo una relación con el público, también otorga agencia y poder a personas, grupos y comunidades oprimidas.

 

Esas son las principales características de lo que llamamos el “Teatro de la Agencia”. Los ejemplos son múltiples y cada vez se ven más obras que se adecuan a este criterio en los escenarios del mundo. No es sólo el teatro de Beatriz Cabur el que reclama su poder. Es una ola global.

 

Acordémonos ahora de lo que hablábamos el jueves pasado sobre como hoy las autoras que estamos aquí compartimos esa sororidad, como se nos percibe juntas, guerreras en esa lucha común cuyo fin es liberarnos de la opresión y las dificultades con las que nos siembran el camino.

 

¿Pero cuál es el primer obstáculo con el que nos enfrentamos en la lucha?

 

Lo hemos visto.

 

Acordaros de mis personajes.

 

Solas.

 

Todas.

 

El primer obstáculo es percibirse sola.

 

15 años de escritura profesional me costó darme cuenta de que no lo están. De que no lo estamos.

 

Es parte de la lucha darse cuenta de que no lo estamos, de que tenemos un enemigo común y somos aliadas.

 

Es parte de la lucha darse cuenta de que si gana otra también estoy ganando yo y que desbrozar el camino, por muchísimo que cueste, merece la pena porque deja el camino un poco más desbrozado para la siguiente.

 

Y para nuestras y nuestros adolescentes, creo que nuestro trabajo es enseñarles su poder y su responsabilidad. Descubrirlos será su fortaleza.

 

No podemos descartar el efecto que tuvo pasar por la universidad en mi obra sin recapacitar en ello.

 

Tomemos nota.

 

Revisemos los contenidos que impartimos en las aulas. El efecto de ese contenido en las alumnas y en los alumnos es inmediato.

 

Es nuestro poder y nuestra responsabilidad abrir puertas no cerrar posibilidades.

 

Gracias.

 

 

Beatriz Cabur

 

21 de septiembre de 2021

[1] https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/geena-davis-two-easy-steps-664573/

 

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agency_(sociology)

White on White

White on White

White on White

WHITE ON WHITE
Translated by Iride Lamartina-Lens
 
Photography by Michael Loos
 
 
Live Zoom Reading series in partnership with Estreno Contemporary Spanish Plays
Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 2:00PM
Origin Theatre European Month of Culture
520 8th Avenue
Suite 329A
New York, NY 10018
 
White on White [Blanco sobre blanco] (2018) takes place in an isolated station in the Arctic. In a rapidly defrosting wilderness, two conflicting characters—Dimitri, an aging misanthropic meteorologist, and Carla, a young documentary filmmaker from Guinea–observe and interact with Nanua, a starving female polar bear irreversibly destined towards death and possible extinction. Nanua’s fragmented interior monologues of loss and despair interweave with the incoherence of human discord, indifference, and broken communication. Realistic, poetic, moving and disturbing White on White mirrors the unforgiving consequences of an unchecked global ecological crisis for animals and humans alike.
 

Interviewed at the Slovenian National Television Programme “Panoptikum”

Interviewed at the Slovenian National Television Programme “Panoptikum”

Interviewed at the Slovenian National Television Programme “Panoptikum”

In March 2020 I was interviewed for the Slovenian National Television about the theater’s response to the new reality of the pandemic.

Kim Komljanec, playwright and theatre director, introduced me to Nina Jerman, from RTVSLO, who wanted to explore the idea of the theater’s response to the new reality of the pandemic and the various ways of developing theatre online.

You can watch the full show here and Beatriz from 15:33, or click here to listen to it.

Read about it, in Slovenian, here.

 

Childbirth-19

Childbirth-19

Childbirth-19

This work has been commissioned by Procreate Project

with public funding from Arts Council England

written and directed by Beatriz Cabur

with Emma Bakare

A Brand New Digital Theatre Play

Childbirth-19 is a new digital theatre play specifically written to be performed online. The play depicts childbirth in times of Covid-19 and tackles how the experience of pregnancy and labour is shaped by systemic trauma, as due to coronavirus, childbirth interventions and mistreatments have increased, disregarding women’s needs and rights.

Based on Real Life Experiences

Major traumas and long lasting damages have been inflicted in the name of minor risk prevention, leaving women without birth partners, not allowing home births, having midwifery led units, ultimately not giving choices to women on where and how to give birth and separating babies from their parents right after birth.

Developed with birthworkers

The play is also informed by conversations with childbirth professionals and birthworkers. By collecting the stories of women who have assisted women in labour or work in defending their rights during the COVID-19 pandemic, Childbirth-19 will also reflect their experiences and amplify their voices.

Proudly Supported by Birthrights.

Birthrights is the UK’s only organisation dedicated to improving women’s experience of pregnancy and childbirth by promoting respect for human rights. We believe that all women are entitled to respectful maternity care that protects their fundamental rights to dignity, autonomy, privacy and autonomy.
 
 
You can find information about your rights in pregnancy and childbirth in our factsheets and in our Coronavirus FAQ. You can find template letters to challenge visiting restrictions on our website.
We can also advise you directly via our contact form or advice@birthrights.org.uk.
 
Birthrights is a small charity with a big mission. We need your help to support more people who need our advice about Covid-19 and their pregnancy and birth. Please donate today.

 

STUPID PEOPLE

STUPID PEOPLE

STUPID PEOPLE

Beatriz Cabur directed two different Rapid Productions of “STUPID PEOPLE” by Daniela Fejerman at the Cervantes Theatre in London in October, 2019.

The original Spanish text was performed by Sofía Monreal, Jorge Lucas and Santiago Cabrero, on Friday 11th October 2019 at 7.30pm

The English version, translated by Hayley O’Kell and María Bastianes, was performed by Nicola Peluso, Robert Bradley and George Williams on Saturday 12th October 2019 at 7.30pm.

Sorcha Corcoran was the costume designer, Ignacio Leache the stage manager and Marcus Roche the production manager, all of them, alongside Puerto Baker, Paula Paz, Jorge de Juan and the rest of the staff at the Cervantes Theatre created the best possible environment to work, each and every single one of them showing a level professionalism that’s not easy to find.

What a blast!

 

 

STUPID PEOPLE: Two brothers who argue as to who should care for their lonely mother, a couple who sleep together again after a year of separation, a pregnant policewoman, a British father who aims to pick up his son on his birthday, a desperate man who assaults an off-roader driven by a local dignitary. This is a comedy about stupidity, which knows no economic or social barriers. For there are stupid people in all societies, throughout all ages of all sexes, religions and races. But do we stop to think about this ?

What is a Rapid Production? A Rapid Production is the complete play performed by actors with full movement, staging, music and lighting but with script in hand. The Cervantes Theatre pioneered this sort of production when they noticed that when they watched the play they quickly ‘forgot’ that the actors were reading. Rapid Productions are much more cost effective to put on because rehearsal time is significantly reduced so, for the Cervantes Theatre they have become a way of making top class theatre available at a really low price.

THE MIND-BOGGLING SHRINKING WOMAN

THE MIND-BOGGLING SHRINKING WOMAN

THE MIND-BOGGLING SHRINKING WOMAN

“THE MIND-BOGGLING SHRINKING WOMAN” tackles childbirth and motherhood. A short play written and directed by Beatriz Cabur (with a little borrowing from Lars Von Trier) to be performed by Mirko Grewing. This play has been commissioned by Procreate Project as a part of the symposium “OXYTOCIN, Birthing the world” that took place on Saturday, June 3rd at the Royal College of Art. 1 Hester Road, London SW11 4AN

READ THE WHOLE PLAY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE BELOW

WATCH THE #LIVE RECORDING clicking on the video below.

A man performs the journey a woman endures from being regular sized to a barely noticeable, almost impossible to be heard miniature of herself. The text reflects on how the treatment provided by the medical profession during the pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, delivery and post-partum time impacts on the body and mind of women.

Woman in the poster: Dyana Gravina

LIL’BIRD2

LIL’BIRD2

LIL’BIRD2

LIL’BIRD2 premiered on May 23rd on facebook LIVE!!

 
 
LIL’BIRD was written and performed in English. LIL’BIRD2 has been originally written in English but it has been translated and developed in Spanish, it was performed in Spanish on May 23rd, 2018 with the following artistic team:

Carolina Lapausa as CARLOTA FITZ-PATRICK DE LA VEGA
Sara Moros as ISABEL DE LA VEGA
Sandra Dominique as LUISA LÓPEZ LAMAS
Laura Aparicio as MARÍA MACÍAS MARCO
Laura Madera as SARA SWARTZ

Assitant Director: Laura Madera

Stage Manager: Eugenia Peral

Playwright and Director: Beatriz Cabur

Would you like to know more about the first LIL'BIRD?

¿Quieres leer "PÍO PÍO 2"? (Versión en español)

PIGWASH

PIGWASH

PIGWASH

Un miércoles 20 de diciembre recibí un mensaje grupal de WhatsApp felicitándonos las fiestas. El mensaje era un texto infinitamente largo, escrito en caracteres chinos. Copié el mensaje, lo pegué en Google Translate y el texto resultante se me apareció claramente como el material de una comedia postdramática del absurdo. Pero no sólo eso. Una comedia postdramática del absurdo encontrada en la Biblioteca de Babel. Casi nada. Para los que no estéis familiarizados con este fantástico relato breve de Borges lo podéis leer haciendo clic aquí. La Biblioteca de Babel es ese espacio en el que existen todos los libros escritos y por escribir, y todas sus variaciones. Todas las posibles combinaciones de los veinticinco símbolos ortográficos. Existe tu biografía y la mía y todo lo demás.

“El número de símbolos ortográficos es veinticinco. Esa comprobación permitió, hace trescientos años, formular una teoría general de la Biblioteca y resolver satisfactoriamente el problema que ninguna conjetura había descifrado: la naturaleza informe y caótica de casi todos los libros. Uno, que mi padre vio en un hexágono del circuito quince noventa y cuatro, constaba de las letras MCV perversamente repetidas desde el renglón primero hasta el último. Otro (muy consultado en esta zona) es un mero laberinto de letras, pero la página penúltima dice «Oh tiempo tus pirámides». Ya se sabe: por una línea razonable o una recta noticia hay leguas de insensatas cacofonías, de fárragos verbales y de incoherencias.“

“Cuando se proclamó que la Biblioteca abarcaba todos los libros, la primera impresión fue de extravagante felicidad. Todos los hombres se sintieron señores de un tesoro intacto y secreto. No había problema personal o mundial cuya elocuente solución no existiera: en algún hexágono. El universo estaba justificado, el universo bruscamente usurpó las dimensiones ilimitadas de la esperanza.”

Hasta que lei la traducción de ese mensaje de WhatsApp nunca me había planteado que en la Biblioteca de Babel hubiera obras de teatro. Qué maravillosa realización. Esa idea me pareció motivo suficiente para desarrollar el texto que vais a encontrar a continuación. Porque como dramaturga es mi trabajo reivindicar la presencia del teatro hasta en la Biblioteca de Babel.

NOTA DE LA AUTORA

PIGWASH es un texto dramático (postdramático performativo del absurdo) que reivindica el teatro como espacio lúdico. Nos volvemos locos a veces con la seriedad y la ambición de cambio que queremos tengan nuestros textos. Yo la primera, mientras escribo esta obra tengo otra pendiente sobre la violencia doméstica, que en mis horas orgullosas me parece capaz de lanzar olas de concienciación y toma de responsabilidad por parte de la sociedad en su conjunto, a los cuatro vientos.

Pero el teatro no es sólo eso. Material escénico es todo aquello que nos atrevamos a decidir que es material escénico. ¿Por qué debería alguien elegir montar este texto? ¿Y por qué se elige cualquier otro? ¿Y qué si este texto no se monta nunca? ¿Y qué si nadie lo lee entero? ¿Y qué si alguien se enfada mientras lo lee y no vuelve a leer nunca nada que yo haya escrito? Ni siquiera mis obras “serias”. Las que rezuman ambición de cambiar el mundo. Qué pena sería perder público por esta extravagancia. ¿No? Meh.

Asumido el riesgo seguimos adelante porque al final ese espectador / lector ideal para el que escribirmos las dramaturgas y dramaturgos del mundo, alguna vez está bien que seamos nosotros mismos. Os invito amablemente a leer esta obra pero podéis dejarla inacabada o buscar entre los “diálogos” las sorpresas que se van desarrollando, o no. Cava y escarva entre los textos, no pierdas la esperanza, aguza la memoria y puede que la disfrutes. Leela en alto y puede que te lleve a un estado meditativo fuera de este mundo y ahí quizá decidas montarla. ¿Por qué no? Déjate llevar por la Luz Macho y el Sitio Web en verano.

Quizá no es todo tan lúdico como os estoy diciendo. Tómate a los personajes en serio y date cuenta de que, al final, no somos mejores o peores que ellos. Toda nuestra capacidad articulativa, en 2017, no sirve de nada. Ahí está el mensaje. Ya podéis no leer la obra ahora. Ya os he contado de qué va. 2017 es el despropósito más grande que hemos vivido hasta la fecha. Ahora que nos preparamos para subir otro escalón, quería dejar constancia de ello sacando una obra de la Biblioteca de Babel antes de que me caduque el carnet.

Las tendencias que se convierten en imposiciones desde todos los frentes. La imposibilidad de relacionarse sin aprender nuevos lenguajes, palabras y significados que se actualizan constantemente y si no mereces el ostracismo absoluto. Eso ha sido 2017. Feliz año nuevo a todos. Señoras y señores, sin más preámbulos…

“GOODBYE, MOTHER”

“GOODBYE, MOTHER”

“GOODBYE, MOTHER”

Women’s issues are making strides in equal rights. Our voices are becoming more audible and are definitely resonating but there is a huge backlash to all this progress: The Femicide rates have increased globally.

I met Patricia Masera, a theatre performer from Paraguay, based in New York City, and working mainly in technical theatre on Broadway, in 2012 working on Hotel Project, in NYC. Since then we’ve been cooperating on different stages of our own work, until this year when our desires and goals met to create and produce “GOODBYE, MOTHER”.

“GOODBYE, MOTHER” is a new play about femicide that gives a voice not only to the women who can’t talk anymore but to the people who stay behind.

All these people and the human networks around them and the impact that every single femicide has on every single person. “GOODBYE, MOTHER” shows that the women killed are not numbers in a yearly list. We need to give them names and lives and people around. We need to see them as they are.

She was my friend. She was my mother. She was my sister. I was alive and loved. I was surrounded by family and friends and my killer. She was my mother and I left her there. I had a daughter, and a husband. I had a father and I left him alone with her. She was my favorite aunt and all I have are beautiful memories of her, she baked me lemon muffins. My aunt Marcia, she was 32.

The project has grown exponentially since its conception. Our initial phase involved research and interviews with key people in three cities: Asuncion, London, and New York City.

We are determined to get as much information as possible to hear the voices of the people around the victims and to catalyze them in one universal piece of work, that can be heard and understood regardless of origin.

After our research and development work, the writing phase started. We will soon start producing the work for its presentation in New York, London and Madrid.

Thousands of women are violently killed by their partners or family members, every year. A study published by the United Nations concludes that Femicide:
• Is difficult to eradicate
• It has significant prevalence in all regions
• Is important to monitor
• Needs future research work to better understand enablers/drivers and perpetrators.

“GOODBYE, MOTHER” focuses on the last point of the report that is, to my understanding, the only area in which art, and theatre in particular, can contribute, and it is our responsibility as artists to take on the task.

Picture: Patricia Masera by Tim Becker

DIRIGE – Mentorías a Escena

DIRIGE – Mentorías a Escena

DIRIGE – Mentorías a Escena

On March 11th, I had the honor of directing the Spanish division of The League of Professional Theatre Women (LMPT) second gala in Madrid. It was called “DIRIGE – Mentorías a Escena”. DIRIGE was presented to general audiences within the Ellas Crean Festival and it was a huge success, more than 200 people were left outside queuing for returns!
The League of Professional Theatre Women – Spanish Division, that I founded and direct, has launched a Mentoring Program in which we pair a woman with more than 10 years of professional experience in theatre with another one that has significantly less experience. In this pilot program we have paired more than 60 women that are developing 30+ projects. This gala, DIRIGE – Mentorías a Escena, was created with the idea of showcasing three of those projects to present the whole Mentoring Program to the Spanish society. All of them felt the pressure of putting something on stage in an early moment of the process but I personally think that throwing theatre makers into a stage can always be turned into a really good experience. Both the Ellas Crean Festival and the Conde Duque Theatre put the best people they have to work with us, making out of DIRIGE a really enjoyable experience. I couldn’t be more thankful.
We started to set up the Conde Duque Theatre on Friday and it went beautifully. Cristina Santoro was our light designer and Alba Redondo our sound technician. They both did an amazing job.

Our host for the night, and vicepresident of the League of Professional Theatre Women – spanish Division (LMPT) Belén Santa Olalla rocked the stage!

Within the Mentoring Program and in order to create the first piece of the Gala, QUIMERA, The League of Professional Theatre Women – Spanish Division, organized a multidisciplinary laboratory in collaboration with the Circo Price. The laboratory was directed and guided by Neus Gil Cortés and Eva Redondo developing the project Neus is working on. QUIMERA will be fully developed and ready to tour by the end of the Mentoring Program.
The talented women who worked in the laboratory, with Neus and Eva, developing QUIMERA and then presented it at the gala were Lucia Bravo, Cristina Sánchez, María Zárate, Laura Jabois, Sarah Funda, Aranzazu Alonso, Ascen Caballero, Lola Acosta, Julia González, Lucía Passardi, Inma Gamarra, Natalia Moya. Thank you, ladies. You were all brilliant!
Our second piece for the evening was called EXTERNAL YOUTH and the team who developed it were Cachito Noguera, Marta Bascuñana and Loly Garayalde. Cachito and Marta are working together since the LMPT paired them within the Mentoring Program. Loly helped them directing the piece for the gala. The two women present the life of a girl through the milestones of her birthdays until she is forty years old. She undergoes a series of surgeries and body modifications in order to please everyone but her. We can’t wait to see this play fully developed.
Our third work in progress for the evening was the result of the work of the playwrights Velilla Valbuena and her mentor Laura Rubio Galletero, based on “Excentric Paganini”,  a musical project by Pablo Martos. It presents the story of Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma and Paganini. Within the Mentoring Program Laura Rubio Galletero is helping Velilla take care, not only of the dramaturgical development of the piece but of the historical precision of each single word. Inés Adán directed the piece beautifully.
We’ve got till the end of this article without mentioning Yolanda Dorado and you may wonder how that happened, well, she is the woman in the shadow who makes everything possible. Let’s shed some light on her now. Yolanda runs the LMPT with me and if we are growing at such a fast pace (from zero to 6300 members in less than a year) is because of her hard work. Thank you, Yolanda. It’s always a pleasure and an inspiration to work with you.
So getting back to DIRIGE, it was a beautiful evening, full of amazingly talented and professional artists, technicians, the theatre and the festival staff and more. Concha Hernández, María José Aliste, Raquel Provencio, Marc Bartolo, Álvaro Villahoz, Daniel Ramírez, Patricio Forrester, Sandra Dominique, Pilar Almansa, Conchita Piña… and so many more! I couldn’t be more thankful to all of them for making my job so easy and enjoyable. See you all soon!!
Pictures of the pieces ©Ellas Crean by Alicia Blanco

“WALK INTO SPACE”

“WALK INTO SPACE”

“WALK INTO SPACE”

I have been the Dramaturg in a groundbreaking show that was live online to watch and interact with, no matter where you were. It happened on Monday 23, Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 January at 2pm & 7pm. (more…)

The League of Professional Theatre Women – Spain

The League of Professional Theatre Women – Spain

The League of Professional Theatre Women – Spain

On November 14th, the Spanish division of The League of Professional Theatre Women had his first event in Madrid. The gala was called ACTÚA and it gathered theatre women from all regions in Spain.
Picture by CARLOS NÚÑEZ DE ARENAS
Picture by CARLOS NÚÑEZ DE ARENAS
The Spanish Division of the LPTW was founded by Beatriz Cabur, Yolanda Dorado, Conchita Piña and Inge Martín San Juan on World Theatre Day, 2016. Right now, it counts with more than 6000 women among its members. Click here to become a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women – Spain.

The LPTW-Spain is still directed by Beatriz Cabur, Yolanda Dorado and Conchita Piña but after Inge Martín San Juan had to step out of her role, Belén Santa-Olalla took over and is doing the best possible job. Still four amazing professional theatre women working to make change happen!

Picture by CARLOS NÚÑEZ DE ARENAS
The gala was hosted by the gorgeous and talented Carolina Lapausa and Xenia Sevillano, they delivered Inge Martín San Juan script with lots of energy and joy. Both actresses created a fun environment for us all to enjoy the gala.
The musical group “The Funamviolistas” created a specific show for the gala in which they went through their experiences as women in the industry and how that impacted their careers. A story of deception and overcoming that had a profound impact on our audience.
Marinma Dorado, first in the right in the picture, is a professional coach who took us all through an amazing journey of self discovery and empowerment. The audience was raging during her performance and lots of women contacted her after the gala to try and work together. It was a true networking event made possible by The Spanish Division of The League of Professional Theatre Women.
Big round of applause to all women involved in this show!!
All the pictures in this article were taken by CARLOS NÚÑEZ DE ARENAS
ACTÚA was supported by the SGAE, Stroke 114, The Theatre Times, NITEcorp and Jameson Whiskey.

“BREAKFAST AT DADDY’S” in NEW YORK!

“BREAKFAST AT DADDY’S” in NEW YORK!

“BREAKFAST AT DADDY’S” in NEW YORK!

Very proud to announce that my latest play “BREAKFAST AT DADDY’S” premiered in New York on November 5th. BREAKFAST AT DADDY’S is part of a show produced by Partly Cloudy People. This production seeks to end the stigma and the silence around abortion. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the historic Margaret Sanger Center of Planned Parenthood.

 

SYNOPSIS

“BREAKFAST AT DADDY’S” is about a girl and her father in his kitchen, waiting for it to be the time for her to go get an abortion, he supports her wholeheartedly, or so she thinks…

 

THE SHOW

Alongside “BREAKFAST AT DADDY’S” there will be other plays by Catherine L. Albers, Sarah Kinsey, Lizzie Vieh and Pirronne Yousefzadeh staged the same night.

“An interview-based show inspired by the true stories of women and their partners as they navigate the choices surrounding pregnancy. We are interested in the enormous crossroads women face when deciding to raise her baby, have an abortion or give the child up for adoption. We wonder: if we create a platform to share our stories, might we take comfort in each other and feel empowered to claim our decisions without fear of judgement? The results from our personal interviews will culminate in a full theatrical production to raise awareness and funds for a women’s health organization.”

 

CREDITS

Producers: Eva Gil, Sarah Kinsey, Sarah Nedwek.
Interviewers: Catherine L. Albers, Nikki Berger Martinez, Eva Gil, Sarah Kinsey, Sarah Nedwek, Robin Grace Thompson.
Playwrights: Beatriz Cabur, Catherine L. Albers, Sarah Kinsey, Lizzie Vieh, Pirronne Yousefzadeh.
Dramaturg: Lauren Miller.
Director: Jennifer Tuttle.

WHEN: November 5, 6, 12, and 13 @ 2pm
TICKETS: https://www.artful.ly/store/events/10120
WHERE: The PIT Loft. 154 W 29th St (b/t 6th & 7th). New York, NY 10001

More info:

http://www.thetheatretimes.com/the-seedling-project/
https://www.spainculture.us/city/new-york/breakfast-at-daddys/
http://www.partlycloudypeople.org/

EURODRAM Open Call 2017

EURODRAM Open Call 2017

EURODRAM Open Call 2017

As the Head of The Hispanic Languages Committee it is my pleasure to announce that:

The call for submissions is now open for EURODRAM 2017

 


EURODRAM is a theatrical promotion network of works in European, Mediterranean and Central Asian languages. Its main objective is to present works by contemporary playwrights to both theater professionals and the public at large, with a particular focus on linguistic diversity. The network is organized into
30 language-based committees with a total of more than 300 members.

EURODRAM hosts two types of theatrical contests:
– Even years: the selection of plays written in the language of the committee (original plays).
– Odd years (as is the case of this edition 2016-2017): the selection of plays from other languages translated into the language committee (translated plays).

The complete list of EURODRAM winners is published in the press of all member countries, and has a large impact on subsequent theater seasons. The specific award varies depending on the language committees that grant them. For instance, in the case of Hispanic Languages Committee, the winning works have been distributed to a large number of theater professionals inside and outside of Spain, and are presented as part of a reading series in New York City. This event is being organized by AENY – Spanish Artists in New York in collaboration with NITE – New International Theatre Experience.

 

This year, EURODRAM 2017 will accept plays that have been translated into the languages of the committees.

 

To participate, send an email with the subject heading “EURODRAM 2017 – Submissions” to the director of the committee of the language in which the play has been translated. Check the addresses of the directors in each committee’s page by clicking here. If you want to submit a play translated into Spanish for the consideration of the Hispanic Languages Committee, please feel free to email me directly at beatriz@nitecorp.com with the subject “EURODRAM 2017 – Submissions”. Any email received with a different subject won’t be filtered into the proper folder and therefore won’t be able to participate in the selection process. Please, be careful.

PLEASE NOTICE THAT THE RULES MAY VARY PER COMMITTEE. Check the rules that apply to you here: EURODRAM 2017. The deadline for submissions is 31 December 2016. If you have any further questions please contact Dominique Dolmieu, general coordinator of EURODRAM at documentation@sildav.org

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