For the brave Felipe, my nephew who emigrated
Enrique Saavedra is one of the pillars of activity at La Capilla, the legendary space founded by Salvador Novo three quarters of a century ago, and which in recent decades has been managed by the company Los Endebles with Boris Shoemann at the helm.
Among the many activities that Enrique carries out are the promotion and public relations of the works that are presented there. I must thank his invitation and insistence for having enjoyed several wonderful productions.
This happened with “Winter,” which Enrique recommended to me again and again.
The play was only presented on Mondays and, juggling 47 things in my many activities, I managed to attend the last performance last Monday, August 26. After seeing the excellent staging, I regretted not having gone earlier so that I could recommend it.
But as fate is unpredictable, at the end of the presentation they announced that due to the enormous reception the season had had, it was now being extended to every Sunday in September, in the small Novo forum, which is part of the same facilities.
I saw the show with my friend José Luis Reyes, who at the end of the show told me: “I loved it! But I have a question. How can something so simple, plain, seemingly without anything interesting, be so interesting and emotional?”
The answer was in the very question that Luis asked himself.
Written and performed by Cristian Lara, “Invierno” is an honest, direct story, whose complexity lies in its simplicity. “Invierno” could be the life of any of the viewers who enjoy it.
A boy tells the story of his life from childhood until he is disillusioned by love and emigrates to a Nordic town where the cold is the common denominator, hence the title of the play.
Ah, together with the friend with whom he shares a house, he begins to discover and live the true meaning of existence.
Directed by Antón Araiza, the staging is full of wit, of winks to the spectator with which empathy grows and grows and grows.
Scenes like the one where the plane takes off are not only hilarious, but they also connect with each viewer who, like what happened to me and my friend Luis, surely remembered that first time we got on a plane.
And like that, many others.
Simple, as I already said, hence the empathy with the audience and so well written, directed and acted, with so much truth and honesty that it connects directly to the feeling and becomes endearing.
Emilio Zurita, with his set design and lighting, rounds off this production which, we were informed at that “last” performance, is also the birth of the company Teatro bajo la lluvia, from which we hope for many more equally wonderful productions.
“Winter” is the result of the work that La Capilla develops in its Production Incubator program, which if it is to generate productions like this one, it must be supported 100 percent.
Congratulations to Cristian and Antón for this brilliant work; and congratulations to Boris, Enrique and all Los Endebles for their work, so, so, so fruitful.
By the way, we are already missing a revival of the play that gave this company its name: “Los endebles”.