The Valencia Institute of Culture hosts a regional Dramaturgy Tournament featuring eight dramatists, with two participants from Castellón, two from Alicante, and four from Valencia. Each contestant will present roughly 30 minutes of text read aloud by two professional actors inside a boxing-ring style staging area, creating a dramatic, competitive atmosphere that brings new stage voices to life.
The first quarterfinal takes place on May 30 at the Teatre Arniches in Alicante. The second quarterfinal occurs on June 1 at the Teatre Principal in Castelló. The third and fourth quarterfinals will be staged on June 6 and June 8 at the Teatre Rialto in València. Winners from the quarterfinals advance to the semifinals on June 14 and 16 at the Rialto, and the tournament climaxes with the grand finale on June 18 at the Teatre Rialto.
This project carries the prestige of Girona’s High Season Festival, an event people have followed for over a decade. It was once produced by CREADOR.ES in València before the IVC took the lead in 2016 and 2017, and it continues to grow as a regional cultural showcase.
Theater Arniches hosts the quarterfinal match of the Dramaturgy Tournament, a moment that brings together a lineup of emerging talents and seasoned performers. The evening is guided by a master of ceremonies announced by the Managing Director of IVC, with Xavi Castillo taking the role this time to introduce each writer and to tease the personality each participant will bring to the arena, including the colorful nicknames chosen for the event format.
The contestants are introduced as follows: Albert Bellés, Eel Fenix de la Plana; Paz Palau, L’Oliveta d’Almadrava; Antonio Cremades, El Tirilla del Valle de las Uvas; Claudia Serra, La Tintorera de la Marjal; Amparo Vaya, La Pelaïlla de Morvedre; Jessica Martinez, La Jessi; Manu Valls, L’Huracà de Godella; and Emili Chaqués, El Moreno d’Al-Andalus. The stage names add a playful, competitive vibe reminiscent of a boxing bout while keeping readings central to the competition.
Claudia Serra and Antonio Cremades are photographed together, a moment that captures the collaboration and energy fueling the event. Public attendance remains free, and the participating authors will not know which actors will represent their texts until two hours before each performance. This adds an element of surprise and spontaneity to every reading in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final rounds, all staged within the three provincial capitals.
Past editions have produced memorable winners and stories, including Juli Disla in 2016 for a piece about crocodile girls, Mafalda Bellido in 2017 for a dog-themed narrative, Adrian Novella in 2018 for latecomers, Borja Lopez Collado in 2019 for a hypochondriac tale, and Sergio Serrano in 2021 with termites as a central motif. At a recent press gathering, the winning author shared a line that resonated with the current year’s texts: a reflection on peering into the rafters that support a home and realizing there is more to see beyond the obvious. The winner from this edition will continue to participate in the Dramaturgy Tournament as part of Girona’s High Season Festival, extending the connection between regional stages and broader cultural programs.