Mérida (EFE).- Comedy at its best, in which pleasant, festive and humorous aspects predominate, as defined by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), is the focus of the 69th edition of the International Classical Theater Festival of Mérida, whose program winks at 90 years of history at the Roman Theater.
This new edition straddles its 69 years as a festival itself and the 90th anniversary of the reopening of the Roman Theater space in 1933, when Margarita Xirgu gave life to Seneca’s Medea, with an adaptation of the text prepared by Miguel de Unamuno.
A total of 135 theatrical performances, two dance shows, a concert, a musical, film projections, workshops, courses, exhibitions and conferences make up the program of this new edition, which this Wednesday was presented at a press conference by its director , Jesus Cimarro; the president of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara, and the general director of the National Institute of Performing Arts (INAEM), Joan Francesc Marco.
Numerous celebrities from the cultural world present
Numerous actresses and actors, as well as directors, who are part of the cast of the programmed works, such as Belén Rueda, Silvia Abril, Pepón Nieto, Magüi Mira, Pablo Puyol, Mariano Peña, have traveled to the capital of Extremadura to be present at this event. , Emma Ozores, Carmen Consesa, Fernando Cayo, Antonio Pagudo and Paco Mir, among others.
All of them will be joined by other names from the theater space who, although they were not present at the press conference, also make up the various casts, such as Cayetana Guillén-Cuervo, Pepe Viyuela, Cristina Castaño, Carlos Sobera and Ramoncín.
“A plural, diverse edition that encompasses many sensibilities,” said Cimarro, who has influenced the common thread that comedy represents for this edition, which will be held from July 1 to August 27.
Specifically, the Roman Theater will host ten theatrical performances, of which seven are world premieres; seven works will be at the María Luisa theater, and 43 will be distributed among the extensions of the festival in Madrid, Cáparra, Medellín and Regina.
“We want our public to enjoy, vibrate and celebrate Mérida, a unique ceremony for the senses”, Cimarro stated.
The Mérida Theater Festival begins on July 1
The Roman Theater of Mérida will open its doors on July 1 to the Zaragoza Chamber Orchestra (Enigma Group) with the concert “Iannis Xenakis, Oresteïa”, with a cast of close to a hundred, including actors, actresses and musicians. A day later, the play “Los Gemelos” will return, a co-production of the festival itself and Verbo Producciones that was released ten years ago.
The comedy will continue on July 5 with the El Terrat company and its proposal “Las Asambleístas (Those who stumble)”, directed by José Troncoso and starring Silvia Abril.
The musical “The Titans. La Furia de los Dioses”, with Daniel Diges and Ramoncín, and “Shakespeare in Rome”, by the Centro Dramático Galego, will continue the programme.
“Pandataria”, a dance and theater show, with Cayetana Guillén-Cuervo and Elio Toffana, among others, will arrive on July 21, to give way, from 36 to 30, to “Las Nubes”, directed by Paco Mir and starring by Pepe Viyuela and Mariano Peña.
“The Gift of Zeus”, a work that will close the program
The month of August will start with “The Comedy of Errors”, directed by Andrés Lima, and led in the cast by Pepón Nieto, Antonio Pagudo and Víctor Clavijo. Under the stage direction of Magüi Mira, and with Belén Rueda, Pablo Puyol and Luisa Martín on the Meritense arena, “Salomé” will arrive on August 9.
The Roman theater program will close with the play “El Regalo de Zeus”, with a text by Concha Rodríguez for the actress Emma Ozores and the actor Juan Meseguer.
The María Luisa Theater, which will host seven shows, will host the works “Medea”, with Carmen Conesa as the main protagonist; “Republic of Rome”, with Miguel Hermoso in front; “For all the gods”, a monologue by Fernando Cayo; “Oedipus”, “Clytemnestra”, led by Cristina Castaño; “In the middle of the fire” and “Odyssey”.
To all this is added the programming in the Extremaduran theaters of Medellín, Regina and Cáparra, as well as a cycle in Madrid, and the numerous theatrical and dance performances in other spaces of the capital of Extremadura.