In the trenches is a travel diary that follows a Spanish theatre company as it journeys between Argentina and Spain. The project spans the years from 2012 to 2016, tracing the intimate path of a group of women who chose to make art with their bodies, voices, and histories while navigating distance and cultural exchange. The ensemble grew from the ideas of a Madrid-based creator and performer who helped found the group after meeting fellow actresses in Buenos Aires, where a shared passion for theatre fostered deep connections across continents. Years later the team documented this vibrant adventure in a book that gathers memories, challenges, and the lived experience of creative risk in a single, panoramic narrative. This Saturday at noon, the public will have an opportunity to engage with the work at a bookshop in Alicante.
The book offers a vivid account of a theatrical journey that mirrors the persistence of artists who pursue their dreams against the odds. It recounts a journey of twelve thousand kilometers from the starting point, turning the story into an Iberian and Southern cross‑ocean diary. The narrative underscores the strong creative engine built on both shores, a bulwark of collaboration and passion that endured across years of travel, rehearsal, and performance, and finally a return to Madrid where ties to the peninsula remained strong.
The author and founder of the group invites readers to step into the experience of a collective of women who choose to make art with their bodies, voices, and histories from a perspective that remains aware of distance and shared humanity. The book introduces readers to a circle of collaborators who contributed to the journey, including other key members of the ensemble such as Silvia Barona, Clara Diaz, Susana Hornos, Mada Mendez, and Zaida Rico, whose contributions helped shape the ensemble’s distinctive voice and stage presence over the years.
The company’s debut production, Grapes on the Palate, drew on historical memory to stage a performance that resonated with audiences on the independent theatre circuit in Buenos Aires. The show later found a stage in Madrid at the Mirador theatre, where it received programming support from notable actor Juan Diego Botto. The production also reached Alicante, appearing at Las Cigarreras in 2015, and marked the beginning of a trilogy that expanded into further works across Argentina and Spain, touring to theatres and festival stages alike.
The trilogy continued with a sequence of shows including a set of works centered on republican history and social memory, which were staged in multiple cities and venues. The performances traveled across borders, linking audiences in Argentina and Spain through a shared commitment to memory, voice, and collective action, and helping to illuminate the continuity between Iberian cultural traditions and the South American theatre scene.
Published by a regional publishing house, the book was presented at Mirador in Madrid, where conversations explored the journey and its implications for contemporary theatre. The narrative and the accompanying discussion highlighted why the trenches of a touring company can become a space for reflection, dialogue, and growth, and noted forthcoming appearances in cities that originally inspired the project, including a return to Buenos Aires to revisit the roots of the story.
The book marks a milestone in relation to the first show that premiered in 2012 and reflects on a decade of creative work. It is presented as the conclusion and the living legacy of a collective effort by colleagues who embraced collaboration and risk to tell their stories on stage. The author concludes with a sense of gratitude for the experience and for the colleagues who joined in making the project a lasting memory in the annals of contemporary theatre.