The Twelfth Night Poster
Those in Havana who love good theater, always appreciate the staging of the English bard's timeless work, the great William Shakespeare.
And one such play is the latest from director Carlos Díaz and his theater group, Teatro El Público (The Public Theater), performing King's Cake, also called The Twelfth Night.
In El Público's broad repertoire, they have several Shakespeare works such as King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream and now, King's Cake, which is categorized by experts as one of the most graceful and engaging comedies written by the Swan.
Díaz maintains an original Shakespearean scheme, unaltered, yet creates, and to some extent, amplifies tasteful intricacies and mood successions; it's now a setting transformed to Illiría, so much so that it could be a burning island (like Cuba), a place in the Western Hemisphere, or a place where there are frequent contemporary embarrassments of identity and gender.
Teatro El Público, with each staging strong, is based on a professional cast and a creative collective. The music, very much in line with the objective, is by Bárbara Llanes, while Roberto Ramos and a group of talented designers are responsible for the attractive scene, noticeable on stage.
I should say that Díaz's plays always manage to attract many viewers, and none leaves in indifference; there are some who think they're excessive, others classify them as sarcastic and many simply appreciate them for being a clear expression of postmodern staging, a plethora of neo baroque festivities, very personal.
With the new production of Twelfth Night, this group and their director will pay tribute to the performances of Vicente Revuelta and the Teatro Estudio (Studio Theater) in 1983, in which the likes of deceased actors, Adolfo Llauradó and Omar Valdés, and superb actresses such as Ana Viñas and the Argentine Mónica Guffanti were highlighted.
Teatro El Público begins a long season with Twelfth Night, which will run until December, at the group's permanent home, the recently renovated Trianón Theater. Many of their followers will certainly gather, and if in Havana during these months, you can also join in Shakespearean enchanted humor.
Details:
Every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 5 p.m.
The Trianón Theater
Línea Street between Paseo and A, Vedado.
T: (537) 830 4698
