New image marks a renewed chapter for the Guillermo Heras figure as intergenerational dialogue becomes a central thread of the Contemporary Writers of Alicante XXXI Spanish Theater Exhibition, scheduled from November 3 to 11. This edition emphasizes citizen participation, with workshops that invite both children and adults to craft their own productions, expanding the scope of community theatre in Alicante.
The stage design centers on a black box concept where the dressing area represents the playground of imagination. This identity motif merges the exhibition’s title with Guillermo Heras’s name, aligning with the collaborative decisions made by the organizing bodies INAEM, the Valencian Institute of Culture, the Alicante Provincial Council, the City Council, and the SGAE Foundation during a board meeting held last July. The tribute to the Madrid actor, stage director, playwright, and theatre manager who passed away on July 12 anchors the edition as a living memory within the cultural program he helpedfound and steward for 29 years.
These visual choices echo a philosophy: if the thirtieth edition carried a slogan about theatre, this year the creative team uses the letters MUTESAC to symbolize four pillars supporting the stage box of imagination. MU stands for Sample, T for Theatre, ES for Spanish, and AC for Contemporary Authors. This formulation underlines a commitment to safeguarding the space where ideas are born and opportunities flourish, a sentiment expressed by Mónica Pérez Blanquer, the exhibition director.
Democracy Study crafted the new image, blending typography with abstract stains and a palette of colors that will distinguish four itineraries that shape the XXXI edition’s programming. Full details on programming, training courses, and related activities will be announced at a press conference at the Provincial Council of Alicante on October 4.
La Tristura debuts in Alicante
One of the edition’s major attractions is the premiere of La Tristura in Alicante with its acclaimed production Future Lovers, presented by the Teatro Manager. This large‑format work brings youthful energy to the stage and aligns with the festival’s overarching theme of intergenerational exchange. Listening and sharing knowledge across generations is highlighted as both enriching and essential, with the aim of providing a platform for younger voices through bold offerings from La Tristura.
Future Lovers centers on six young people born around 2000 who gather on the outskirts of a big city during a summer night. The piece follows their adventures as they navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood, inviting audiences to reflect on their own journeys and expectations. It asks a perennial question about fulfillment and the evolving meaning of youth, prompting viewers to consider how their own early hopes compare with current realities.
The production at the Teatro Principal in Alicante is scheduled for Monday, November 6, with a cast featuring Pablo Díaz, Manuel Egozkue, Gonzalo Herrero, Itziar Manero, Siro Ouro, and Sara Toledo. Scenic and dramaturgical consultation came from Itsaso Arana and Violeta Gil, contributing to the development process of the work.
Will to Believe, winner of Best Show at the Maximum Awards 2023, emerges as a standout entry in the festival’s lineup. This large-scale piece, written and directed by Pablo Messiez, will appear in the festival program at the Principal on November 11. It marks the second Alicante theater contribution to the current cycle and continues Messiez’s exploration of the boundaries between reality and illusion.
Messiez’s most recent exploration delves into the tension between belief and perception. Drawing on Carlo Theodor Dreyer’s 1950 cult film Ordet and Kaj Munk’s original play, the piece contemplates a family where belief takes a dramatic turn after a teenager becomes convinced of a divine identity. The work probes how belief influences theater itself, inviting audiences to consider how stories on stage shape our sense of truth and meaning.
As explained by the exhibition director, the piece asks how and why theater persuades audiences, and how the audience participates in the fiction unfolding on stage. This inquiry into the mechanics of belief in performance forms a core thread of the festival’s thematic architecture.
Families with children invited to create works
Throughout the 31st edition, a range of events and show programs invites public participation. Madrid-based director and playwright Jana Pacheco opens registrations for families with children who wish to participate in the Somos Infancia stage creation project. The workshop spans five days and invites families to collaborate on a play, with adults supporting the young writers while preserving the child’s creative voice. The aim is to co-create a piece that the participants then perform as a collective, culminating in a public presentation titled We Are Childhood at the Las Cigarreras Cultural Center on November 11.
The workshop provides tools and guidance to help families shape themes, characters, and narratives. The project emphasizes shared authorship, mutual listening, and the joy of co-creating theatre that reflects everyday life through youthful perspectives. The final performances will be showcased to the public during the closing events at the Las Cigarreras venue.