American musicals marked an era for people in other countries who, on the other side of the Atlantic, lived lives that were incredibly different from those they saw on the big screen. But what if that fascinating world was hiding mechanisms for political and economic domination geared towards diluting the class war? This is the conceptual starting line for a new stage experience with the neighbours of Ciutat Vella who are part of the Antic Teatre’s artistic community project. This time, they draw parallels between their own lives and memories and the lavish and optimistic images seen in musicals in general and especially in the glamorous world created by Bob Fosse. The personal stories of the group of participants come from the so-called ‘archaeology of the everyday’, a technique to create life stories from a document, object or photograph. These everyday life stories, which speak to us about the post-war period, the transition towards democracy, the Nationalist-Catholic morals of the Franco era and lives on credit, will have the choreographies of Bob Fosse as a counterpoint, some of which will be projected on the screen and simultaneously performed live by the people participating in the experience. In addition to showing the stark contrast between the imagery they had available and the harsh reality they lived in, the performers will invoke reflections on the desire to be an artist. Here, a perfect execution or a perfect body is not as important as enjoying the pleasure of the movement. The presentation has been coordinated by Marta Galán Sala and Montserrat Iranzo i Domingo in collaboration with musician Pau de Nut and actor and video director Abel Montes.
Marta Galán Sala has written and directed texts for the stage since 1999, as well as being an artist-educator and cultural manager. Between 1999 and 2011 she has premiered around a dozen performance arts projects of renowned national and international scope. Through the TRANSlab platform, since 2009 she has coordinated and directed a range of projects in which performance arts are used as tools for cultural and community development, and/or social change. For the past five years, she has coordinated Antic Teatre’s community arts project. Among others, she’s brought to the Grec Festival stage experiences such as La Bellesa (The Antic Teatre during the 2017 Grec Festival), Rebomboris (ART i PART programme – care network, yesterday and today, The Antic Teatre during the 2018 Grec Festival), Akana (2018) and Som aquí per millorar les nostres vides (2021 Grec Festival). This time, she’s worked in collaboration with Montserrat Iranzo Domingo, a specialist in a myriad of disciplines ranging from the performing arts to dance to education, including also social work and mental health, who has often worked on social dance projects and with at-risk groups. In 2012, her project Dansalut won the Dansacat award in the dance and society category.
An Antic Teatre production.
Creation and performance: Neighbours of the community artistic project of the Antic Teatre (Aurora Roig González, Emilia Martín Moreno, Maria Isabel Gutiérrez, Jonathan Carrilero, Enrique Ibáñez, Mercè Martínez, Mari Cruz Paván, Francesca Navarrete, Yolanda Prieto, Montserrat Cussó, Laura Alonso, Nélida Ester Díez) Therapeutic support and choreographic transmission: Montserrat Iranzo Domingo Video recording and editing: Abel Montes Adaptation, composition and sound design: Pau de Nut Lighting design and technic coordination: Antic Teatre team with Ana Rovira Eòlia - ESAD trainee students: Mireia Obregon, Julia Turu, Marina Garcia Galán, Sol Carner Coordination and direction of the community artistic project of the Antic Teatre: Marta Galán Sala, Montserrat Iranzo Domingo Production: Antic Teatre Photography: Alessia Bombacci
