The stage duality: life and death
The theater, a space where lives and deaths intertwine, invites us to contemplate the distance that separates the stage from the public. This separation, as Walter Benjamin observed, can be seen as a metaphor for the bewilderment between the present and the past, between the lived and the remembered. Within the framework of current actions in Barcelona, a series of productions emerge with the aim of closing this gap, exploring the corporality as a vehicle for communication and reflection.
Corporal and Crisis: a theater in transformation
The Deria+Rector’s Collective, originally from the vibrant district of Gràcia, has been a pioneer in the exploration of the body as a tool for creation and resistance. His work ‘If the bodies were bodies’ gave voice to gender injustices, while the recent ‘Zeitporträts’, which is presented to the old theater, delves into the importance of friendship and the redefinition of the body in a constantly changing world. His proposal defies the traditional notions of the body, approaching it as a social construct that reflects our collective wishes, needs and struggles.
A journey to the essence of the present
‘Zeitporträts’ seeks to capture the ephemeral of existence, exploring the idea of an alterity that goes beyond the physicist. This work invites us to reflect on our own reality and the way bodies are perceived and represented.
Theater on the border: Stories of escape
Works such as ‘The time left to us’, written by Claudia Estrada, enter the environmental crisis through a poetic and dreamlike narrative, where music and light become protagonists. This production brings together artists from various parts of the world, creating a dialogue between cultures and experiences that resonates with the present day. At the same time, ‘full moon’, directed by Alex Rigola, adapts Aki Shimazaki’s novel and transports us to an intimate space, where the characters, despite their static appearance, experience a constant metamorphosis process.
Narratives of Loss and Hope
Victoria Szpunberg’s ‘Third Fuga’ offers a look at the wounds of a family that crosses time and space, fleeing several threats. This epic not only explores the great tragedies of history, but also highlights everyday moments and intimate details that humanize the characters. With a narrative that combines humor and music, the play reminds us that the richness of human experience is multifaceted and complex.
Death as the protagonist
The presence of death becomes palpable in Tiago Rodrigues ‘hearts’, a work that explores human relationships through a dialogue that challenges time and space. Its unique structure, which alternates between monologue and dialogue, creates an emotional intensity that resonates deeply with the audience.
A new approach to mental health
Núria Corominas Pérez, with ‘A lamb has crossed the desert’, addresses mental health issues in an innovative way. Through a performative approach, Corominas uses its body as a tool of expression, approaching melancholy and alterity. Its stage presence challenges expectations and invites a deep reflection on the human experiences that are often hidden.
Through these works, contemporary theater is revealed as a space for reflection and transformation, where bodies, in all its diversity, are the true protagonists of a collective narrative that challenges the passage of time and social norms.