Guillermo Heras Contemporary Writers’ Spanish Theater Exhibition opens this Friday, filling Arniches with anticipation as a new wave of drama arrives before the week concludes. The program features a significant showcase of fifteen theater productions, inviting audiences in Alicante and nearby areas to explore through November 11. Six performances are scheduled for this weekend, promising a lively start to the festival.
The exhibition’s director, Mónica Pérez Blanquer, expressed strong enthusiasm for the launch of the 31st edition. Some shows are already sold out, reflecting high demand as the opening performance takes the stage this Friday at 8:00 p.m. at Teatre Arniches, with seats in high demand. The schedule includes a revival of José Sanchis Sinisterra’s piece, which has drawn near-full attendance, underscoring the work’s enduring appeal.
The opening plan includes a celebration of living theatrical writing, followed the next day by two works from emerging voices in contemporary drama. The event emphasizes generational and intergenerational perspectives, life stages, and visibility, with discussions planned around the exhibition themes during the professional conferences that accompany this edition.
Exhibition Director Mónica Pérez Blanquer commented on the collaboration that made the event possible, noting the joint effort of presenting partners. The staging pays tribute to the playwright José Sanchis Sinisterra, who attended one of the parallel events and supported the program. The production team worked under the guiding hand of Carles Alfaro, with Pep Cruz, Mar Ulldemolins, and Pere Ponce in lead roles, highlighting the play’s complexity through stark contrasts of darkness and light. The creative team stresses that the work invites attentive viewing, careful interpretation, and a readiness to follow multiple possible readings as the audience experiences the performance. The director notes that literature and live performance are not merely about telling stories but about inviting viewers to reflect on personal connections, language, and meaning.
Pere Ponce brings to life the perspective of a reader under a father figure, emphasizing the power of literature to shape the listener’s imagination. The performers describe how storytelling and fictional elements can shape perception, while noting that if a text is not approached with sufficient preparation, it leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
The program resumes on Saturday at Las Cigarreras with a double bill centered on humor as a vehicle for social and political commentary. Alessandra Garcia performs a piece in Black Box Woman on a treadmill set against a stark background, a work that reflects recognition from notable awards in 2021 and 2022. The evening will feature a production at 9:00 p.m. at Las Cigarreras, exploring the global dimensions of relationships in contemporary theatrical practice and presenting a tragicomedy focused on human connections within affluent Western society.
The exhibition continues at Arniches on Sunday with a dramatized reading of a Guillermo Heras text, a long-standing reference in the exhibition circuit. The afternoon program returns to Las Cigarreras with work inspired by Sergio Baos and Spain Curve, while a younger company, tristura, is scheduled to present Future Lovers at the Principal in Alicante on Monday.
The Alicante Theater Performance is made possible through the cooperation of central, regional, provincial, and local authorities. Attending officials from various institutions participated in the opening events, including representatives from theater and culture bodies, along with members of the local cultural council and performing arts organizations.
Main Diosdado Award 2023
In this year’s Diosdado Award, Ana Graciani by Ana Diosdado, winner of the V SGAE Theater Award for works by women, earned recognition for a text that engages with the complex questions surrounding motherhood, its rights, and the ethics of surrogacy in different international contexts. The prize includes a monetary award and publication in the TeatroAutor collection, with the piece slated for inclusion in the 2024 TeatroAutor Readings Cycle. The award ceremony was held in Las Cigarreras.
Speaking about the honor, María Díaz highlighted the work’s capacity to provoke thought about motherhood and autonomy, calling the issue of surrogacy a significant topic within 21st-century discourse. The jury’s decision reflected a commitment to addressing challenging social issues through dramatic art, and the author expressed gratitude for the recognition that accompanies the award.