The Chespir theater company, founded in Lanzarote in 2010, can boast a journey of 14 years, during which they have dedicated themselves to offering a differentiated theatrical vision on the island. It is based in Playa Honda, a town where they usually rehearse their functions, specifically, in a premises ceded by the San Bartolomé City Council and shared with other local groups.
Chespir is under the direction of pharmacist José Manuel Clar. An artist who has dedicated himself to promoting classical theater with Anglo-Saxon influence. "The line on the island was to do a costumbrista theater, and I wanted to get away from that idea," the director revealed.
José Manuel arrived on the volcanic island directly from London, where he studied theater at the Academy Mount View, where he specialized in musical theater. An influence that has helped the company to premiere its 38 most outstanding works: 24 plays, seven musicals and seven monographic shows, which have marked the joy and fun of the people of Lanzarote.
Although he was immersed in the London academy, his passion for theater was shaped in his first contacts with the performing arts at the University of La Laguna in Tenerife. At that time he studied at the conservatory, and then went through various musical theater schools. "I had to direct a scene from 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'."
"I came to the island to put into practice what I learned abroad and it was a pleasure that it coincided with the lack of Anglo-Saxon theater," he pointed out. The main objective of starting the theater company was to provide a new way of expressing theatrical performances. "The idea was to fill and occupy a space that was empty and offer a different theater," he added.
The most outstanding thing about the director was the contribution of "something that was missing in Lanzarote" and promoting it with the "best tools he had", he revealed. His success has been based on "bringing what I learned to fill a void that existed and do something that I liked on the island," he said.
The first work with which they kicked off the company was the adaptation to the theater of the novel The Portrait of Dorian Gray written by Óscar Wile, a project that marked the difference of Chespir. "It was very laborious and interesting to adapt a novel to take it to the stage," José Manuel recalled. A very special work for all the colleagues who were lucky enough to participate in it and that will remain in the memory of their memory. "The magic that the first work created has not been surpassed by any," he confessed.
From the beginning he thought that opening with the adaptation of the novel was "crazy", although he knew that he had to do it to achieve something unique in Lanzarote. "What is difficult lasts much longer, what is easy ends faster," he assured as a learning experience. His work within the company is based on adapting the script, looking for actors and actresses, taking care of makeup, props, lighting and also participating as an interpreter in theatrical works.
A company that remains true to its beliefs and origins, despite having evolved into a very contemporary theater. Their participation in cultural events throughout the island is always based on "depending on what we want to do, but without forgetting the place we come from," he revealed. This is demonstrated in each of their performances, such as those presented in their latest participations in the cultural week of San Bartolomé.
A lot of musical theater
Musical theater has been one of the genres that has made the difference of the company. A branch of theater promoted by its director to give a twist to the offer in Lanzarote and the enjoyment of the citizens of the island. The seven musicals that have premiered since Chespir have shaped a change in what is known about theater in Lanzarote. As the director pointed out, many of them have included an orchestra and live musicians. "We wanted to differentiate ourselves, we even did monographic shows" in emblematic places on the island, he highlighted.
In the musical genre he also dedicates himself to looking for the rights, choosing the score, setting up the choreography, among other activities, which are complemented by being a participant singing and dancing in the functions. "To get a large-format musical out I need time, it means taking away from personal, professional and leisure activities," he said.
In the search for the characters and interpreters he carries out an exhaustive research work. In addition, his most effective way to achieve an optimal result is by varying the participation of actors and actresses in each function. "I am not condemned to do works in which the same people intervene, I don't like to work with a fixed number," he made clear, that's why I try to form my team with "fixed people who have been there for years", and others who "are being included", he added.
In the case of his integration in the plays, he always justifies it depending on the need of the project and the profile of the character. "If within the cast there is a person who is closer to the character than me, I don't do it, I take a step back and let him or her interpret it," he revealed. He is in charge of presenting to the cast, for example the dancers or choreographers, chosen according to the type of work and the demands that are required at each moment.
Professionalism is the ingredient for the company's musicals to resonate with the Lanzarote public. "The musical always likes more than the plays," Clar stressed.
Small performances arrive on the island
Clar has advanced that the theater company seeks to offer the best show for its audience. To do this, they must start the new season of theatrical events with small performances in Lanzarote. "We have in mind small mountains of earth to recover and for the members to ask themselves, when do we do the next one?", the director stressed.
The person in charge of the theatrical performances has assured that they must start with projects that involve less investment of time and money. A fundamental decision to be able to dedicate themselves to the professions that each one has outside the world of theater. "Here there are no actors who live from the theater, none of the members are paid individually, only at the group level," he pointed out. The main reason why they must continue to maintain the professional life with which they generate the main economic income.
From Chespir they have revealed that "the biggest productions will return" and will be aimed at developing when some of the events that they have already prepared soon end. "We have decided to slow down the level of activity with small performances, bring freshness to face other big projects," he stressed.
The director has recognized that his company has the opportunity to have a space to make those projects that he has in mind a reality, although he considers that there is still a need for theaters to carry out rehearsals and performances. "More spaces are needed in Lanzarote," he specified.
In addition, he concludes the interview assuring that the cultural offer that is made available to the people of Lanzarote is "not very diversified". "Culture must be offered every day, not only on weekends," he dropped. He has recognized that there is a lot of competition between the municipalities of the island and their desire to expand the content on specific days. "The events in the municipalities overlap and the cultural offer ends up being very concentrated", he reiterated as a way to change the way of offering culture on the island.