LAS CIGARRERAS CULTURAL CENTER MUSIC HOUSE
Creation and direction: company Atresbandes
A clear reflection of contemporary dramaturgy emerges through this example of Spanish theater, as presented by the Catalan troupe Atresbandes. Human relationships, a staple in most artistic work, are reimagined here, with everyday life situations sparking conflicts, friendships, and deeply felt emotions.
The performance blends a tragicomic tone to explore its characters across a broad arc of short stories. The ensemble—Mònica Almirall, Miquel Segovia, Albert Pérez Hidalgo, Mariona Naudín, and Nicolás Carbajal—along with the trio who conceived The Global Dimension of a Problem, staged the piece at the Casa de la Música of Las Cigarreras Cultural Center. This presentation positions the work as a meditation on how personal interconnections shape experience and meaning.
The piece invites youthful, incisive commentary and uses economical phrasing in places, while at times stretching into more extended, nuanced passages. It builds a landscape that feels minimal yet pointed, inviting audiences to read between the lines. Colors and staging choices emphasize a landscape that is bright, almost sunlit, yet threaded with hints of misfortune and superstition that color the stage world.
Words, whether abundant or restrained, carry weight alongside visual cues and a thoughtful lighting design. The soundscape, curated by Sammy Metcalfe and Miguel Segovia, provides a contemporary aural texture that aligns with the visual aesthetics to offer a fresh perspective on ordinary life.
A moment in the narrative unfolds as a tentative birthday celebration, modestly marked by small gifts. The central character seeks something beyond the present, abandoning the familiar in pursuit of a new adventure as a form of escape. The proceedings touch on topics such as hesitant parenthood and the yearning for change, while others in the group engage in what might be described as a form of collective catharsis—balloons inflating and deflating to mirror shared loneliness and the persistent, uneasy human condition.
Overall, the performance invites audiences to consider how everyday experiences become the wellspring of dramatic tension and emotional resonance. It is a study in how people connect, drift apart, and ultimately redefine themselves through moments of conflict, tenderness, and small, transformative acts.
At its core, the production is a dialogue between light and shadow, humor and sadness, intention and chance. It suggests that life, even in its most ordinary forms, contains the seeds of theatrical revelation—moments that reveal what it means to be human in a world of rapid change and uncertain futures. The piece leaves viewers with a sense of possibility, reminding them that every ordinary encounter has the potential to become a meaningful, shared experience. (Attribution: Las Cigarreras Cultural Center, Casa de la Música, Atresbandes)