Madrid-born playwright Juan Mayorga, born in 1965, returns to Avilés for a notable pulse point in his touring season. On March 10, just a short distance from the Palacio Valdés theatre where a dramatized reading of La colección recently took place, the Niemeyer Center will host a near-final performance of Amistad. This comedy, staged under the direction of José, unfolds as a dark meditation on death and knowledge and has drawn nightly crowds to Madrid’s Naves del Matadero since late January. The production features Luis García-Pérez in a leading role, joined by Mayorga alongside Daniel Albaladejo and Ginés García Millán. Mayorga is a frequent contributor to La Nueva España, part of the Prensa Ibérica group, and maintains a long-standing relationship with the Royal Academy, where he has served as a member and treasurer since 2019. He has also been honored with the Princess of Asturias Award in Literature.
You asked how José Luis García-Pérez came to direct the text of Amistad and how the director could refine it during rehearsals, with the text evolving to the bottom of the stage as performances progressed. The answer lies in a philosophy Mayorga subscribes to: ongoing development rather than finalization. He believes in continuing to work on his pieces after publication and premiere, inviting others to help him understand and rewrite them. There is a deep connection with García-Pérez, built on friendship and a collaborative history that includes projects such as El cartógrafo and El mago. When the play is read and García-Pérez takes on the directing role, a conversation resumes, revealing new layers and shared discoveries. In Amistad, this collaborative spirit is heightened because the drama resembles a chess match where a single changed line or action can alter the outcome of the whole game. The writer often finds himself wondering what different lines would sound like from historical figures or other authors.
When asked whether the cast might address the playwright directly, Mayorga explains that the performers are extraordinarily mature, intelligent, and cooperative. They participate in the creative dialogue rather than simply following direction, offering insights that shape the work. A recent rehearsal phase was characterized by this dynamic, with the actors explaining their points and guiding revisions.
Describing himself in relation to authority, Mayorga jokes about resisting a dictatorial stance. He emphasizes that the production thrives on the presence of friends who collaborate as equals. The three principal actors are highlighted as a remarkable ensemble, and the sense of friendship among them is evident on stage. That camaraderie is a cornerstone of the experience for both the audience and the creative team.
Regarding the role of a philologist who might seek to correct a text like Amistad, Mayorga notes that the work is not fixed. Changes, tension, and the text’s ghostly presence invite curiosity among enthusiasts and scholars. He recalls Borges, who suggested that the idea of a definitive work only applies to religion or sloth. The notion persists that his plays remain living pieces, open to reinterpretation and new readings.
On whether Amistad is a comedy, Mayorga responds with nuance. He does not categorize by genre; instead, he lets the characters and their situations guide the tone. When readings began, some audiences laughed at the actors, yet the work may not fit a conventional comic label. Humor appears as a recurring element in many of Mayorga’s plays, including Darwin’s Tortoise, Himmelweg, Fat and Skinny, Intense Blue, and Alexander and Anne, among others.
There is a playful respect in discussing the Hispano-Arabic literary tradition, with references to a laureate celebrated in Asturias. Mayorga smiles as he recalls a week filled with laughter there, acknowledging that some viewers may still take a quiet seriousness toward the playwright. The sense of connection with Asturias remains strong, and Amistad is as much a reflection of those community ties as of the text itself.
When asked about potential “Mayorga children” in the sense of collaborators who have shaped his work, he downplays personal claims and emphasizes his relationships with actors such as Albaladejo, García Pérez, and Ginés García Millán. He has collaborated with each of them on multiple projects and values the mutual influence they bring to performances. The shared history among the four is apparent in their onstage chemistry and the way they support one another’s interpretations.
Did Mayorga attend rehearsals regularly? He explains that while he did not sit in on every session, he did participate from a distance due to commitments at his own theatre, the Teatros de La Abadía. A continuous dialogue with García-Pérez before and during readings kept the creative process alive, and Mayorga has been pleased with the result the troupe achieved.
Criticism is part of the theatre life he embraces. He welcomes feedback and believes it can be transformed into positive learning. When faced with negative reviews, Mayorga finds value in the dialogue they generate and uses critique as a tool for enhancement. He notes that the play is about friendship, theatre, childhood, and death, and that reconsidering the text through fresh eyes often reveals connections to his broader repertoire.
Mayorga recently observed a premiere at La Abadía, directing a production in tandem with Helena Pimenta and highlighting the work of George Tabori, an acknowledged master who remains influential in Spanish theatre. He regards this form of collaboration as exhilarating and essential to sustaining a vibrant cultural scene.
Looking ahead, Mayorga describes his next project, María Luisa, as the fruit of a conversation with a doorman who suggested a simple act could alter a person’s sense of companionship. This spark has set his imagination alight, and he expresses strong enthusiasm for the cast, which includes Lola Casamayor and Marisol Rolandi in key roles. The project promises a continuation of the dialogue between writer, director, and actors that has characterized his career.
In sum, Mayorga’s work thrives on dialogue, collaboration, and a stubborn openness to revision. Friendship, theatre, and mortality weave through his creations, always inviting new interpretations and renewed curiosity from audiences and peers alike. The sense that art remains a living conversation, not a closed book, resonates across Amistad and beyond. [Cited from multiple interviews and theatre profiles, attribution provided upon publication.]