After a long career in theater acting, studying under notable teachers and later moving into writing and directing, the artist debuted as a playwright and director in 2007. His work during a residency from 2005 to 2008 influenced a signature piece that later earned the Max Award for best theatrical performance this year. The piece and its creator have become prominent at the Alicante Writers Exhibition, where the title Will to Believe has drawn significant attention for its exploration of faith, will, and collective meaning.
Come to the Alicante Writers Exhibition on the 11th to see Will to Believe—a work that earned the Max Award for best theatrical performance and also received three Godot Awards.
The work examines how faith functions and its relation to the will. It asks why some beliefs endure while others fade, where the will to believe sits, and whether belief precedes or follows a revelation or miracle. While watching it, one might recall Ordet by Carl Theodor Dreyer, as the audience witnesses a form of resurrection that resonates even with an atheist observer. The experience of watching the film proved so impactful that it sparked the idea of bringing its material to life on stage, using Ordet as dialogue material with the performers and giving it a central presence in the fiction.
Perhaps the desire to believe in something is essential today…
The study reveals faith in a broad sense, not tied to a single religion. It highlights that belief requires community to flourish, not just an individual. It emphasizes social and political dimensions and the agreements that allow people to live together. The aim is to learn how to coexist, and the role of faith is crucial. The first practice of faith is language; understanding others, even the adversary, and finding a space for encounter is the hardest task. Creating theater is a commitment to something seemingly impossible, because it engages with the present that continually eludes direct capture. As Lorca noted, the moment will pass, yet we carry on—five years may pass, but we won’t be gone; we will go on.
Starting as an actor, then directing, and finally writing—how has this path evolved?
The artist worked as an actor in Argentina where self-directed projects are common. Theater supported his livelihood for years, and it wasn’t until his forties that he began to sustain himself through theater alone. The following decades combined acting with directing and writing. A turning point came in 2006 with a novel adaptation that inspired a stage version; though the author didn’t identify with a single character, the project sparked a new direction. Moving to Spain revealed that acting for one’s own production carried different challenges, including how accents are treated. This realization shifted focus toward writing and directing rather than continuing to act. The journey embraced a broader creative scope and a new sense of theatrical possibility.
So what is the function of a meeting like the Alicante Exhibition for writers?
It serves as a meeting point and a space for exchanging ideas. Any activity that promotes listening and understanding among peers is essential, and this kind of gathering is valuable.
Why is it so important for the local theatre community pedagogically?
Theatre is a powerful tool for connection. It can challenge fixed beliefs and bring groups of strangers together, creating a space where new possibilities to believe emerge. If everything goes well, the experience becomes unforgettable.
The collective miracle mentioned earlier…
It reflects a rebirth of belief in the power of coming together. Training the eyes to listen and the heart to understand others makes theater a school of attention. In a world full of noise and distraction, going to the theater remains a potent, almost poetic practice. Silence, shared gaze, and communal stillness carry a unique force, proving that theater can speak truth without pretense.
“Theater cannot be forced any more than joy can be forced. It requires the will to believe.”
A tweet suggested that the process behind the scenes, rehearsals, and budgeting should be shared with audiences, not just the finished product. Is it possible to disclose the journey without losing mystery?
Finances often carry a taboo, but understanding the production’s reality matters. Theater should be seen as a living process rather than a static summary. If a performance is envisioned as a story for 50 people or 300, the mood shifts accordingly. The work requires a constant gaze from the audience, and sometimes people leave early. The essence remains the same: theater depends on the will to believe.
The cancellation policy has been extended unexpectedly…
Careful handling is needed when external factors intrude on artistic work. Programs deserve respect regardless of who runs them. Creative freedom matters. It should be normalized, not treated as an exception, and it should never be stifled by unforeseen restrictions.
What about censorship and self-censorship? As a writer, has that been a concern?
Censorship isn’t a factor for this writer. The aim is to explore scenes that may provoke discomfort or empathy. Theater is not about shying away from difficult truths; it’s about letting events unfold and revealing what’s hard to grasp.
“The theater is a place to get into trouble, not to raise the flags we believe in.”
In today’s arts landscape, boundaries blur with video, sound, and dance. Has theater joined this interdisciplinary mix, or does it still face friction?
Theater benefits from collaboration with other disciplines. When stage work blends with dance or music, it loses nothing and gains new possibilities. The shared aim should be to serve the audience and the people who create it, transcending market labels and embracing a holistic live-arts approach.
What role does culture play during times of conflict?
Even amid turmoil, the impulse to create endures. The drive to continue making theater persists, tempered by skepticism and a resolve to persevere without vanity. The artist remains committed to exploring human resilience through performance.
Premiering on December 1 at the National Dramatic Centre, a new project shifts attention toward the body and gesture. What makes this focus unique?
The new work centers on what cannot be written—the body and the gesture itself. It examines how hands and faces convey meaning in motion. The project is a joint effort with the Spanish Academy in Rome, and the city of Rome plays a crucial role in shaping its creative direction. The exploration of gesture, as a form of relation, invites spectators to witness the unspoken language of performance. The collaboration aims to reveal how presence emerges from movement and interaction. .