Arrecife will host the theatrical show 'The Island as Before' next Saturday, April 20, a proposal that will premiere at 9:00 p.m. at La Recova. An initiative organized by the Arrecife City Council and the Department of Acts and Events of the City Council, taking advantage of the celebration of the 225th anniversary of the capital.
The proposal is simple. It is about bringing local people, whether or not they are related to art, onto the stage. People who tell us about their own experiences and who help us and serve us to tell and learn about the history of the island, the territory and the history of the place where the show takes place. The piece can become a play, a dance, a concert and/or performance. The methodology for finding people who want to participate is broad and has numerous possibilities, the organization has specified.
The artists that make up the professional cast will use the tools they deem appropriate to find their partner for 'The Island as Before', from announcements and stories on social networks to individual walks through the place itself until they find and find the right person and story. These people would be chosen for a few days before the show itself by professionals (actresses, directors, technicians, producers...) who, after a meeting and prior coexistence during those days, will accompany these people live during the show. They will carry out some previous rehearsals on stage and from the moment of the election the selected local people will become one more member of the team. The only condition: the desire to be there and the enthusiasm to be the protagonist of their own story. There is no age, gender, professions, or cultural levels more valid than others. During the show each piece will be shown individually.
Each piece will have its own prominence, they will be diverse among them and each couple will use the elements they deem necessary. They will be pieces of approximately 10-15 minutes each and it will be important, although each piece will have its own peculiarity, that they emphasize different aspects:
"The objective is to get to know the island first-hand and the most contemporary history of Arrecife with real testimonies. From local people born on the island itself to people who were not born but live on it. Tell, as far as each person wants, their life story. A scenic proposal that is also simple and straightforward. With the light and scenery of the place itself. Without much artifice and without many aspects that may lead to distractions, especially for the invited people who tell us their story, the history of the territory and of the people who inhabit and inhabited the place. A screen to project and add to the stories that our guests tell," they stressed.
"One possibility would be to detach ourselves from the space of the conventional theater as such and take this proposal to cultural centers and/or public spaces that people feel more "accessible", such as squares or central places in the town or neighborhood. In some way 'The island as before' will help save from oblivion some life stories that matter and were surely necessary for the place. Recover stories, which may have even been lost or are going to be lost."
