Alicante’s International Classical Theater Festival, Fitca, inaugurates its seventh edition this Wednesday with the comedy What a Wonderful Woman I Am by Juana Escabias. The festival will be hosted by the Alicante Theatre director and runs through September 24, offering a program that includes eight theater productions and several new free complementary activities that broaden the experience for audiences in both Canada and the United States who follow the festival remotely or in person.
The opening performance is What a Wonderful Woman I Am, shown this Wednesday at 8:30 PM with free admission after collecting the invitation at the theater manager’s counter. This 17th century verse comedy, reimagined in the 21st century by Juana Escabias, blends historical events with fiction. The narrative follows three prominent writers Ana Caro de Mallén, María de Zayas, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz as they test their creative limits to decide which among them deserves the title of the best comedy author. The cast features Rachel Camacho, Carolina Calema, Rosa Merás, and Laura Ordas in leading roles.
Following the premiere, Thursday brings A Night with the Classics, featuring Natalia Milan and Blanca Marsillach. This showcase highlights outstanding lyric texts from the 16th and 17th centuries, weaving poetry and drama into a cohesive performance. The adaptation draws on a curated selection of poems and plays, showcasing the actors’ chemistry under the direction of Mario Gas while honoring the legacy of Adolfo Marsillach.
Next up on Friday, Vania Productions presents Lope de Vega in a lively reimagining directed by Paco Mir Maluquer, with contributions from Amparo Marín, Manuel Monteagudo, Paqui Montoya, and Moncho Sánchez-Diezma. The production revisits Lope’s classic through a stripped-down approach, where two technicians and two actresses, meeting just moments before the show, improvise a traveling performance with minimal sets and costumes. The result is a refreshingly intimate theater piece that invites audiences to experience the storytelling in a new light.
Saturday brings Open Your Eyes, a vibrant piece inspired by the life and works of José Zorrilla. This production features nine actors on stage and is directed by Eduardo Vasco, with performances by Rafael Ortiz, Elena Rayos, Alberto Gómez Taboada, Manuel Pico, Jesús Calvo, Celia Pérez, Mar Calvo, Anna Nácher, and Daniel Santos. The show embodies a vaudeville-like exuberance and celebrates the joy of living, while keeping a light touch on the more melodramatic elements often associated with the era’s comedies.
Sunday offers Celestine, directed by Fernando de Rojas, with Anabel Alonso in a role tailored for the stage adaptation guided by Eduardo Galan. The remaining three works in the festival calendar Trojans Horses, Let Out Aristophanes, and The Comedy of Errors will follow next week between the 20th and 22nd. The festival also includes Garrigós Wells Events, featuring three celebrated narrators from Greek myth to the Golden Age, and a conversation at the Reading Club at MACA and the Gil-Albert Institute to engage audiences in deeper discussions about the performances and their historical contexts, providing a well-rounded cultural experience for all attendees.[citation needed]