The sinking of the Ships of MataderoBronca by the schedule of season the Ships of MataderoLevy: “those who attack me for reading to Lorca, I recommend the Treatise on Tolerance”
The City of Madrid -and more specifically, its delegate of Culture, Andrea Levy – has already expressed its decision not to renew the contracts of Carme Portaceli, director of the Spanish Theatre, and Mateo Feijóo, visible head of the triumvirate that governed the Ships 10 and 11 of the Slaughterhouse-their contracts expire in October of 2019-. This decision adds another: the meeting of the two spaces under the same management and the return of the Ships to a schedule that will allow the theatre of text return from the banishment to which Feijóo sent him. In the next few weeks we will know who is chosen to direct the two spaces. Although the city Council still has not said anything, everything seems to indicate that this time is not to resort to a public contest, and that the director of the Spanish -the oldest theatre in Europe – will be appointed directly by Andrea Levy, who thinks of a figure as prestigious of our scene to fill the position.
The conversion by the city Council of Manuela Carmena of the Ships in a “Space of Living Arts -as if the theatre is not out – had within the sector of the performing arts -mostly related ideologically to the councillor – an audible response. The presentation by Mateo Feijoo for his first season (which is the act in which he was accompanied by the then minister of Culture, Celia Mayer, who showed on that day a rather arrogant attitude) became an act of protest in which numerous professionals have expressed their displeasure over the change of direction of the boards. Formed even a working group that worked as a platform, composed by a group of actors, directors, playwrights, and communicators, which expressed the distress of the sector; meetings with Manuela Carmena -that, remember, took over the department of Culture after the recall of the controversial Celia Mayer – not served more than to listen to good words and better intentions, but without result.
Today, the municipal Government, formed by the PP and Citizens, returned to the Ships, which were opened in 2017, its former mission, and the world of the performing arts, and of culture in general, applauds the measure. Here are several reactions.
Robert Alvarez
The actor Roberto Álvarez is one of the members of the platform -the”Fuenteovejuna” they called themselves – who more fought the change of direction of the Ships of the Spanish. Next to the playwright Juan Carlos Rubio, another member of this platform, recently visited Andrea Levy, delegate of Culture of the Municipality of Madrid, to inquire about their intentions with respect to that space. “He showed us an attitude that is determined to reverse the current situation,” something that, says the actor, spaniard, “it seems to me very well.” Highlights Roberto Álvarez is the intention of the group of which it forms a part “has always been to add, never subtract. We have not attempted to never cause us the project of the current charge of the Ships, but we did not understand that to develop it is to carry the that had: a theatre of quality that concitaba to the public. If the city Council would have been smart would have developed a theater project more “alternative” or “experimental” in another space and would have left the Ships as they were, because they worked very well.” And concludes the actor: “We are pleased with the new situation.”
César Antonio Molina
The former minister, socialist César Antonio Molina adds his voice to those who celebrate “again to recover the spirit with which he founded the Slaughterhouse. The living culture that was practiced in the past few years led to the death and disappearance of this cultural center. There was no one to acts and in addition was relegated to ostracism to all the Spanish theatre”. For the politician, “the Slaughterhouse has to go back to recover the time lost in the whole, the artistic spaces, that didn’t work, and the programming, which was a disaster. Slaughter became, above all, a space of social and political turmoil in the margins of the culture. Carmena was a disaster as Minister of Culture. The work now is going to be hard because to destroy is very easy and build to more difficult. The same thing happened to the Cineteca only with programming marginal to the that he was not a nobody.”
To finish, says that “the Spanish followed this same path. Only works markedly ideological, banished to the great theater and absent everything Spanish. Slaughter and The Spanish have been the example of hatred to the culture. The culture should not be governed by those who think that it is undemocratic because the genius creator only have a few”.
Javier Gomá
For his part, the philosopher Javier Gomá, director of the Fundación March and playwright, says: “he Went frequently to the theatre in the Slaughter, because the space I loved, and the programming was attractive. A few years ago I stopped going. In fact, I know what they scheduled. For me, that recovers the Slaughterhouse to the theatre is a joy and a great news for all the fans”.
Magüi Mira
“Something logical and necessary”. With this forcefulness calls the actress and director Magüi Mira the decision of the city Council to reverse the situation of the Abattoir premises. “It is not so much that you re-join the Spanish Theatre, but that the Slaughterhouse will once again be a unit that contains and exhibits theatre productions” text. Adds Magüi Mira that “the whole profession we are in for a treat”. You do not have anything against the programming current. “It seems to Me that what you are doing is wonderful, but there are other places, even in the same Slaughterhouse. I never understood why to make this theater “performance” and more avant-garde -which is also absolutely necessary – had to take the guts of something that is as essential to the theatre of Madrid”.
Shell Bust
The production company Shell Bust, a figure of reference in the Spanish scene, defines the decision to bring the Spanish Theatre and the Ships of the Slaughterhouse, with the change of direction that this implies for these, as “fair”. She is also part of the platform that you fought the exile of the theatre text of the municipal space and, as Roberto Álvarez, said that “our thing was to add, not subtract. The current project should continue, but in another space. In the Slaughterhouse there are more appropriate locations”. “The Ships of the Slaughterhouse was a place envied by the entire profession. In a very short time had established itself as one of the theaters of reference in Madrid; the public, and especially the people of the neighborhood, used to go regularly. So what they did is a nonsense”. Assume now Shell Bust her role as producer. “And when viewers support a project, the professionals can bet the money; not to forget that in the Ships the companies are not charged caches, but that they were going to the box office”. That audience, says Shell Bust, can not give him back, and the decision of the current city Hall of Madrid gives you a lot of satisfaction. “I’m very happy”.
