The new performing arts program at the University of Alicante centers on a lively season of theater, circus, music, and cinema. Most events unfold in the UA Auditorium from October through December, and the program opens with a Welcome Concert this Thursday at 20:30. A Polish Girl and Automatic Extenders will perform at the Aulario II Amphitheater, with free entry. Doors open at 19:30, and a bar offering food and drinks will be available at the venue, capacity permitting.
The Vice Rector for Culture, Sports and University Publishing, Catalina Iliescu, outlined a diverse lineup that adds about a dozen artistic proposals for the current semester. The program features five theater performances and continues collaborations with organizations like the Circarte Circus Festival (Gladis Project on 18 October) and the XXXI Spanish Theater Exhibition of Contemporary Writers (Nobody’s Daughter, 8 November). The project, co-produced by La Zafirina and Russafa Escènica, also ties in the Tardor Festival 2023 with support from the Escalante Center Theatrical and the Segorbe City Council. The centerpiece play, directed by Mafalda Bellido and Sergio Serrano, follows a girl on the cusp of eighteen who receives a life-changing phone call.
Paris, anys 60, a production by UA Theater Classroom and directed by Morgan Blasco, is highlighted as part of the information section.
The full theater lineup includes Paris, any 60, staged by the UA Theater Class on October 24. It promises a nostalgic and entertaining journey through the 1960s, blending humor and music from a period of imagined freedom beyond Spain. Also planned are Cântec pentru noéma, UNATC IL Caragiale (October 25) by Daniel Danis; you say tomato (November 15), a musical comedy featuring Joan Yago with Anna Moliner and Joan Negrié, directed by Joan Maria Segura, which earned a Serra d’Or Critic Award for best theatrical text in 2016; and Richard III (November 22), a seminal tragedy staged by the Seville company Atalaya, celebrated as one of Shakespeare’s major achievements.
Cinema also plays a role in the season, including the premiere of Bruno by Alicante-based director Ángel Puado on November 10. Puado will lead a continuing education course introducing cinema at UA this year, and the film follows a visit to a psychiatrist that leads to a comic twist where the therapist loses balance.
Still from Ángel Puado’s film Bruno is featured in this section.
Music and Poetry
The music program continues with a traditional educational concert exploring the origins of the art, titled The Entertainer Teachers. This event, opening the music segment on October 17, traces music from medieval melodies to contemporary tunes heard on radio and television. The approach treats music history as a playful evolution that resonates with audiences of all ages. The Entertainer Teachers (Community) began in 2015 and now involves eleven members under the direction of Benjamín Sun. The season will include the UA Choir Winter Concert on November 28 and a music and poetry show Lorca: a Genius with an Elf on December 13, a commemorative recital honoring the 125th anniversary of the poet Federico García Lorca. The program features readings of Lorca’s poems and dramatized scenes from his notable works, accompanied by live guitar, piano, and projected images.
Exhibitions
The programming is complemented by exhibitions organized by the Alicante University Museum (MUA) for October through December. An exhibition titled Example Creation Guesthouse in Artistic Research at MU9WITH is on display in MUA’s Sempere room until February 4, 2024. The CUB hall hosts a separate showing, Mare lucidum, until January 28, 2024, featuring work by Alicante photographer Ángel Fitor. The exhibit surveys Mediterranean life through underwater photography, highlighting its biological, plastic, and symbolic facets, while addressing ongoing environmental challenges. Fitor, born in Alicante in 1973, is a photographer, photojournalist, professional diver, and naturalist focusing on marine ecosystems.
The Sempere Space will also present the centennial exhibition 1923-2023, honoring Eusebio Sempere, with 26 works drawn from MUA collections. Additional shows at Alcudia Room, Alcudia Space, and the Arcadi Blasco Space showcase local artists and expand the cultural dialogue. The exhibition at the Archaeological Site, prepared by MUA for its 25th anniversary, remains accessible through 2024, while other works by Mutxamel artist Arcadi Blasco and Daniel Escolano, who passed away last year, are featured in MUA’s Naia room until July 1, 2024.
These offerings create a vibrant cross-section of theatre, cinema, music, and visual arts, reflecting the UA’s dedication to engaging communities across Canada and the United States who seek dynamic European performing arts experiences.