Neighbors and visitors continue to participate enthusiastically in each of the events scheduled for the festivities in honor of San Antonio María Claret, patron saint of the Altavista neighborhood. Last Wednesday night, at 8:00 p.m., the stage was transformed into an authentic space of emotions and reflection with the theatrical performance of the play Lo que tiene que hacer una madre [What a Mother Has to Do], by the veteran theater company Teatro Raíces y Ramas [Theater Roots and Branches], from the town of Ye, belonging to the municipality of Haría, at the foot of the majestic La Corona Volcano.
With 33 years of experience, this amateur company, made up of six actresses and two actors, is a living example of commitment to popular culture. Women and men who, with dedication and passion, dedicate part of their free time to rehearsing and performing plays that excite, amuse and, above all, make people think. Although their main objective is to enrich the festivities of their own town, whenever they have been asked, they have generously come to collaborate in the celebrations of Altavista.
On this occasion, they offered a work as real as life itself. What a Mother Has to Do, tells the story of a woman who, after raising three children, finds herself in the deepest loneliness. The plot takes a turn when her sister encourages her to leave the house to distract herself. In an act of mischief and fraternal complicity, the sister makes her children believe that their mother is in the hospital, hoping they will react.
However, the children don't go to the hospital, but to their mother's house, in search of valuables and inheritance documents. There, among daughters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, they prepare to divide what they believe belongs to them... until, suddenly, their mother appears - more alive than ever - accompanied by her sister. The great revelation explodes: the entire inheritance has vanished on pleasure cruises, and the mother had even married the captain of one of the ocean liners.
A story with comedic and moving moments, and a social undercurrent that remains relevant today. The audience, completely devoted, knew how to value the interpretive quality of the cast, rewarding their performance with warm applause.
Among those in attendance was the First Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Festivities of the Arrecife City Council, Echedey Eugenio, as well as the president of the Padre Claret de Altavista Neighborhood Association, Mari Carmen Santacruz, along with members of the Board of Directors and Festival Committee.
The night culminated with a very special performance; the neighbor and actor Manolo took to the stage to perform several songs with a ranchera feel, which were widely applauded and sung along to by the audience, putting the musical finishing touch to a memorable evening.
Thus, between theater, emotions, and music, Altavista continues to celebrate its patron saint festivities, strengthening neighborhood ties and keeping the flame of popular culture alive.
