Trickery and "self-service theater" in Tinajo

By José Luis Bahillo While the municipalities of Conejero published in the digital press the gesture of solidarity with the important cause of the international day against gender violence, many people in Tinajo felt a certain pride and ...

November 28 2011 (18:43 WET)
By José Luis Bahillo
While the municipalities of Conejero published in the digital press the gesture of solidarity with the important cause of the international day against gender violence, many people in Tinajo felt a certain pride and ...

While the municipalities of Conejero published in the digital press the gesture of solidarity with the important cause of the international day against gender violence, many people in Tinajo felt a certain pride and satisfaction when reading on the Tinajo website: "The company SOMOS presents the play "The Last Time" on the occasion of the international day against gender violence. Friday, November 25 at 8:30 p.m., at the Municipal Theater of Tinajo. Price 2 euros."

Some of us queued for about 30 minutes at the doors without realizing that the pre-election times had already passed. After another 15 minutes, already sitting in a half-empty room, wrapped in the expectant murmur, the lighting fading in the room highlighted the bare stage. So bare that even the curtain was absent. (This object is as necessary as it is traditionally emblematic in the staging, pause or end of any function, although in this aspect, there are predilections for or against depending on the theme, the decoration required by the play or whether the traditional or the modern is respected).

In any case, a session devoid of any preamble of a modest theatrical work awaited us: scarce scenery, absent of presentation or reason that would bring the public closer to the artistic group and its realization, the act began with the entrance on stage of the only two performers, who despite everything more than fulfilled their part in the function.

In the same scenario, the same scene, which the theatrical group of Tinajo recently suffered, in terms of organization and support, both to the public and to the theatrical group; but the saying does not necessarily have to be fulfilled: "what starts badly ends badly", if one does something to avoid it. But this time, almost everything, went as planned, that is, bland and lackluster.

Many, disconcerted, appreciated the coldness with which the play began and how equally icy the function ended. Would it be the end of the first act? No, it was the end of the play. Seeing again that the curtain did not move either, we looked at each other, applauded for a while a deserted stage? and we deduced that the choice of whether or not to use the curtain was not due to carelessness but a choice.

On the other hand, we are still wondering: why in a cultural act of this nature does the municipal theater of Tinajo lack hosts? Why in the act of solidarity with the victims of gender violence was not a word of solidarity spoken by the first municipal institution? Were we not there for and for the people honored?

It is not enough to build a venue and label it a theater, to hire actors and announce the time and day, open the doors? and the last person to leave locks up. Theater is special because it is made by people for people.

On November 25, people were missing, and not precisely the public, but the people who should be backstage and also on stage? and above all the hosts, to shorten the distances between the public, the play and the actors... and above all to demonstrate the true commitment to each cause. Homages are useless if they are only done to comply and pharisaically.

The City Council of Tinajo should also take culture in the municipality more seriously (in this case the theater) and prevent the Municipal Theater of Tinajo from becoming just another "self-service" venue for ambiguous purposes.

*José Luis Bahillo, councilor for the PSOE in the City Council of Tinajo

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