Alicante’s Gathering Intermittent, founded by actor and director Morgan Blasco, is set to continue its momentum in 2019 with the José Estruch Theater Production Residence, an initiative sponsored by the local theater community. The Alicante Main Theater has supported the province’s professional theatre scene for six years, helping to promote high-quality landscape production. Collectiu Intermitent’s winning project draws on a text by Antonio Cremades, a playwright from Alicante, and will be directed by Jason Shepherd, a veteran director with a long list of accolades. Both directors are celebrated figures in their fields, adding weight to the project’s credentials.
Intruder presents a psychological journey that slides between reality and fiction within a single narrative. It follows a married couple living in fear of an unsettling intruder, whose appearance unsettles their sense of safety and stirs long-buried fears. The winning project emerged from twelve submissions in this sixth edition of the call, with two other works reaching the finalist stage: a drama from Thorn Theater with text by Alfonso Vallejo and Andrés Vinaches, and a co-production titled To Mix Up with text by Iván Gisbert and direction by Guillermo Amaya. Juanjo Llorens is credited as the lighting designer for both finalists, a figure recently honored with the Talía Awards for his work in lighting design.
The José Estruch 2023 Dormitory decision was announced at Teatro Principal in Alicante by deputy director María Dolores Padilla. She highlighted the quality of the twelve proposals, a larger field than in previous years, as well as the social commitment embedded in the texts and the participation of leading Alicante professionals who contribute to the performing arts scene in the city. It marked the first time two finalist works were selected, underlining a belief in promoting high-quality projects rather than choosing a single winner.
Last Tuesday, the winning project and the two finalists were unanimously chosen by the selection committee, comprising playwright and teacher Juan Luis Mira Candel, Ministry of Culture official Beatriz Echevarria, and María Dolores Padilla. They described the process as complex and demanding, noting the strong textual quality, production design, and the professional track records of all contributors as key factors in the decision.
This marks the first staging of a Cremades work directed by Morgan Blasco and the first Col lectiu Intermitent production to debut on this stage. Blasco expressed gratitude for the award, calling it a significant economic and logistical boost that would elevate the project. He also noted the importance of having a Cremades work premiere at the Colosseum and praised Cremades as a writer from Alicante who deserves recognition in Madrid’s theatre circles.
Admiring Cremades’s work, Blasco explained that the project began after hearing one of Cremades’s pieces during a recent playwriting tournament organized by IVC. Cremades provided a longer version after being approached, and its intelligent blend of humor and depth resonated with Blasco and a fellow collaborator, Juan Pastor. The group saw how the text’s compact humor and serious undertones could align with their artistic goals, completing a creative circle that brought everyone on board.
Pope, Blasco’s former teacher in acting, has directed the first Col lectiu Intermitent production in 2019, followed by a smaller-format work and then 016 in 2021. Intruder will become the fourth collaboration, blending elements of text theatre and physical theatre in a hybrid performance that invites the audience to reflect on what lies between words and actions. The cast and crew are encouraged by the shared discipline and methodical approach typical of a strong ensemble, traits the company values in its work.
The playwright Antonio Cremades has earned numerous nominations and accolades across more than forty competitions. While working as an actor, educator, and director at Madrid’s La Guindalera, the company has flourished, with Juan Pastor being a finalist in Valencia’s Critics’ Awards. Pastor teaches acting in several Spanish cities and served as a professor at RESAD from 1987 until his retirement. His prolific career includes a collaboration noted in ADE 2022 for the publication of T. Kempinski and a book discussing acting methods and performance strategies.
Residence
Collectiu Intermitent will rehearse in the Nuria Espert Hall at the theater, with eight weeks set aside in July, August, and September. The premiere is planned for the Colosseum’s autumn programming for the 2023-2024 season, with a slated opening on Friday, September 29 this year. The program will cover a production budget of 3,500 Euros plus VAT, along with a production incentive increasing by 5,500 Euros, a modest rise over the previous year.
Work
Intruder features Morgan Blasco in the lead along with a performance partner, while Joan Sabas Pardo oversees the stage and Mingo Albir manages lighting. The creative team also includes Charlotte Guivernau and Maria Cortes on visual elements. The work probes questions of right and wrong, exploring how people often drag their closest connections into new, unintended worlds. It tackles guilt, remorse, and the relentless push to silence inner voices, embodied by a figure who intrudes into personal space before ultimately returning to its origin.