The local puppet theater groups Retablos and El Carro de Thespis conducted by Christian Medina Negrín and Libán Rodríguez respectively will participate at the 2nd Bacchanal of Adult Puppet Theater to be hosted by Havana from November 16th to 23rd. The event is sponsored by the Guiñol National Center, the Performing Arts National Research Center, La Proa theater, the Freddy Artiles Honory Chair at ISA´s Theater Art Faculty and the Puppet Museum, along with UNIMA´s Cuban Center, ASSITEJ´s Cuban Center and the Performing Arts´ National Council.

Retablos will come up on stage at El Arca Teatro Museo on Tuesday 18th in two performances at 6:00pm and 8:30pm with the play El Túnel, a version of the play El Túnel que se Come por la Cola, by the chilean author Alejandro Jodorowsky; while El Carro de Thespis will exhibit its works on public spaces during the event that will promote adult puppet productions. This event will take into account the good welcoming and the repercussions of the last edition carried out in 2012, as well as the need to favorthe continuation of an imprescindible stage genre that is not very promoted in our country.

Along with El Arca, the Bacchanal will include performances by the theater groups that participate at the Adolfo Llauradó hall, the Guiñol National Theater and La Edad de Oro movie theater with the aim of widening the presentation of adult puppet plays, that´s why it will include several locations like the wooden street at Plaza de Armas, the Villalón square, the Guanabacoa square, work centers, prisons, the Paseo del Prado and the José Rodríguez Fuster House in Playa Jaimanitas. The purpose is to reach temporally established adult populations. There will be artistic improvement workshops as well, including exchanges with guests, theater reading of interesting plays and the Titiritero Cabaret will be open again.

This time the Bacchanal won´t have a competitive character but of exhibition and exchange. It will also include a special recognition: the PopulBaco (the popularity award) that will be given by the audience.

René Gómez Torres

Communication Department. Cienfuegos´ Performing Arts Center.