Classical theater at the Auditorium of the University of Alicante
La Nave Argo stands as the theater troupe of the Inmaculada Jesuitas school in Alicante and is approaching its 14th anniversary this October. At present, the group is nearing a milestone in its history as it prepares a national tour, set to bring performances to twenty venues across Spain.
Three teachers from the school, Carlos Aragüez who teaches History, Fernando Nicolás who handles Latin and Greek, and Marién Navarro who leads Philosophy, launched this project in 2010. The aim is to foster classical culture among middle school and high school students and to explore the powerful potential of theater in adolescent education. The result is a long-running program featuring eighty performances, including eight Greek tragedies, two comedies, and classical works by Shakespeare, García Lorca, and more contemporary authors such as Yasmina Reza, Juan Mayorga, and Miguel del Arco.
The impact on student motivation is immeasurable, and externally the group is earning recognition: three times winning the First National Award for Greek-Latin Theater from the Ministry of Culture (2019, 2020, and 2022); a Buero Vallejo-Coca Cola Award for Young Theater in 2020; and four regional Talía awards for Greek-Latin theater in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, among others.
At present, La Nave Argo is editing Aeschylus’ tragedy Eumenides. It will be staged on May 16 at the Provincial Greco-Latin Theater Competition organized by the University of Alicante. In the meantime, the winter-spring tour begins on February 5 with two principal works: Euripides’ tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis and Aristophanes’ Women’s Council. Both plays are presented in double performances across five intense days in the Balearic Islands: on February 5 at Teatre del Born in Ciutadella, Menorca; on February 6 and 7 at Teatro President in Palma de Mallorca; and on February 8 and 9 in Can on Ventosa, Ibiza.
After the week in the Balearic Islands, the tour continues with spring dates. On March 20, it reaches Teatro Romano de Itálica in Sevilla, followed by a stop at Teatro Romano de Sagunto on April 16 and a performance at Parque Torres Auditorium in Cartagena on April 17. For audiences in Alicante seeking a lighter night, the Women’s Council can be enjoyed on April 3 at the Caja Mediterráneo Foundation Theater on Avenida del Doctor Gadea.
Jesuit students from Alicante win national Greek-Latin theater competition
For La Nave Argo, the tour solidifies the educational project between theater and learning and signals growing interest across Spain in the troupe’s works featured in Greco-Latin theater festivals. For a largely student-based amateur group, the chance to travel around the country and showcase culture and theater at international venues such as Tournon-sur-Rhône in France or Messini in Greece marks a realization beyond earlier expectations. This possibility arose when the company was founded.
As an educational experience, the daily practice builds linguistic, cultural, and interpersonal skills that extend far beyond what any single subject could offer. Representing La Nave Argo, the group expresses pride in serving as a conduit for many young people to access culture and to deepen their understanding of the roots of Mediterranean heritage. The repertoire includes tragedies and comedies from Euripides, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, and Plautus, works that continue to resonate with audiences of all ages even after more than two millennia.