One of the great writers of Portuguese literature creates an ironic, pessimistic story about the possibilities of practicing democracy in a real way. A contemporary fable about the relationship between the rulers and the ruled.
In Ensayo sobre la ceguera (1995) José Saramago, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998, envisioned an episode of blindness that suddenly paralyzed an entire country. A few years later, he took that same society as the protagonist of a second part to the story - Ensayo sobre la lucidez (2004). Here, in that same country, victim of the temporary blindness suffered a few years earlier, elections are held and the large majority of the population decides to vote blank. The novel now comes to stage, exploring the distance that separates citizens from the decisions made by their governments and poses a bitter reflection on the rights and responsibilities that a real democracy implies. Binomial vision/blindness is really the true protagonist of this assembly which makes so many references to the opacity of power as well as to the ignorance or lack of interest by the citizens towards the political decisions or to the blinding power of a sickly consumerist society that is trapped in the need for perpetual growth. The assembly offers us a sarcastic and comical vision of a power capable of showing its most brutal side in the darkest moments, and who hold external enemies responsible for electoral results that they do not understand.
This is the new proposal from La Danesa, a company dedicated to contemporary text theatre which was founded in 2011 by Ota Vallès, Jumon Erre and Elena Fortuny. Up till now, they have brought to the stage their own productions such as Un disgust danès and La distància entre el raig i el tro, as well as Ifigènia en taxi, aimed at young and family audiences by Sílvia Navarro.
A production by Cia La Danesa.
With the collaboration of Aules, Espai 104, Lluïsos d'Horta and Atrium Viladecans.
With the support of the Department of Culture de la Generalitat de Catalunya - Oficina de Suport a la Iniciativa Cultura (OSIC), Illa de l’Aire, Manel Adell, Carina Garcia-Ayats, GV and Tati Marco. Crowdfunding: Verkami
Author: José Saramago Version / Adaptation: Jumon Erra Translation advisor: Yannick Garcia Stage director: Roger Julià Dramaturgy: Jumon Erra, Roger Julià Interpretation: Elena Fortuny, Xavier Frau, Òscar Intente, Maria Ribera, Jacob Torres Assistant Director: Elias Ashtari, Laura Roqué Scenography ans costumes: Clàudia Vilà Sound design / Sound concept: Enric Monfort Lighting Design: Sylvia Kuchinow Movement: Cristina Martí Executive Producer: Cia La Danesa, Elena Fortuny Distribution: Jordi Brunet
