The Ministry of Culture has organized nearly a dozen workshops and performances to celebrate World Theatre Day. The program, aimed at all audiences, will take place in libraries, museums, archaeological sites, and theatrical spaces that have joined in commemorating the 27th of March, with a special focus on children.
Minister Patricia del Pozo emphasized «the transformative potential of theater, and we must ensure that it reaches everyone through initiatives like this and others we promote through the Ministry, such as the Andalusian Theatre Network, which has been joined this year by no less than 70 municipalities.»
The Center for Research and Resources of Performing Arts in Andalusia will host the central event for the occasion, featuring the reading of the manifesto by Sevillian Edi Carrascal, who balances her work as an actress with teaching. Additionally, there will be a presentation of the 31st edition of the Dramatic Texts Collection, featuring the works ‘My soul elsewhere’ by José Manuel Mora, ‘Here comes the wolf’ by Gonzalo Lloret, ‘Throw flowers at it’ by Juan Manuel Cabañas, and ‘Franco, the return’ by Javier Berger.
This is the final volume of five dedicated to winners and finalists of the Miguel Romero Esteo Award for Young Authors of Andalusia. The event will also preview some promotional activities that the center will carry out to encourage dramatic literature among youth.
In Almería, the celebration will be led by the Francisco Villaespesa Library, hosting the fourth edition of the ‘Playwrights on Stage’ cycle, coinciding with the day after World Theatre Day. For the occasion, the play ‘Every day I lied’, by Marta Aran will be performed, who received the Max Award for Best Emerging Author in 2020 for this work.
In Cádiz, the Provincial Library will also serve as a stage for the La Gaviota company to present the play ‘The same story’, based on the texts of Darío Fo and Franca Rame, ‘Eight monologues of theater’ and ‘Let’s have peace in sex’.
The Library of Córdoba has organized the workshop ‘Let’s do theater in the library’ for March 28, aiming to introduce parents and children to the world of performing arts through games and group dynamics to learn how to use voice and body like actors.
The celebration will also include the Archaeological and Ethnological Museum of the city, offering another workshop titled ‘Rehearsal of a play’. Additionally, they will show in open sessions how students from the Rafael Álvarez el Brujo Theater Classroom at the University of Córdoba rehearse and perform ‘A View from the Bridge’ (Arthur Miller, 1955), ‘Blood Wedding’ (Federico García Lorca, 1933) and ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ (Federico García Lorca, 1935).
The Library of Granada has curated a bibliographical selection of theatrical works ranging from classic masterpieces to innovative proposals, including comedies, tragedies, monologues, and unforgettable characters that are part of this literary genre. The exhibition will be open from March 24 to April 21.
The Alhambra Theater, managed by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, will present ‘The Disappearing Act’ on the weekend of March 28 and 29, the first solo production by flamenco dancer Yinka Esi Graves, of Jamaican father and Ghanaian mother, who trained in the UK.
The Archaeological Ensemble of Cástulo, located in Linares, has planned itinerant theatrical performances throughout the space by the groups ‘La Irremediable Company’ and ‘The Paca Theater’. The Archaeological Museum of Linares will also host a performance, opting for the classics on this occasion, specifically, ‘Medea’ by Euripides.
The Museum of Jaén has organized a shadow theater workshop by setting up small cardboard stages and a projection screen to tell stories through silhouettes. Additionally, the Iberian Museum will host a loose adaptation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in a humorous tone and a theatrical tour of the museum featuring Iberian characters and archaeologists. Finally, the Provincial Library of Jaén will host dramatized readings by the reading club.
The Museum of Málaga will celebrate this day with performances as part of the Greek-Latin Theater Festival, with an audience of students from various Secondary and High Schools. On Thursday, March 27, the Cánovas Theater has scheduled a Spanish Dance End of Career show entitled ‘Room 20’ (with performances at 12 and 8 pm). Before each show, a young artist will read the International Theatre Day manifesto.
In Seville, the Central Theater, also managed by the Board, will host the performance of ‘Casting Lear’, an adaptation by Andrea Jiménez of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, where the author will direct a different actor each night in the role of Lear. Through this exercise, Andrea Jiménez initiates a dialogue on fatherhood, love, and forgiveness.
About World Theatre Day
World Theatre Day is sponsored by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), celebrated every March 27 since 1961. The date was chosen in memory of the opening of the Theatre of Nations Festival held in Paris in 1957. Institutions worldwide participate in this commemoration, organizing numerous events and manifesto readings in defense of the performing arts.