“If” or the game of daily decisions

The International theater performance Ribadavia (MIT) fills the city of Ourense these days with picturesque proposals that move between memory, cohesion and innovation. The event reaches its 39th edition, betting on new values ​​and on companies that present new theatrical forms that talk about problems that concern people, from the most profound to those that are presented every day.

One of the most innovative proposals of the competition will take the stage of the castle this Tuesday (11:00 p.m.). is around Ifa (lightness)from the Madrid company of Mr. Smith. They started their work at the beginning of the year and it is the first time that Galicia presents it. This collective of physical theater, as they define it, is made up of professionals from different disciplines, from dance to dramaturgy or plastic and performing arts. IN ifthe viewer joins the script of the play by deciding the future of the characters.

«Ifa (lightness) it talks about the idea of ​​having to choose. About the difficulties we have to decide on and the anxiety that makes us think what would have happened if the choice had been different. It is a constant pressure because our future depends on our inability or skill in making these decisions”, explains the director of the work, Peter House.

The play shows six key moments in the lives of the actors and generates other fictitious ones. This is where the viewer enters the scene. “The public participates in the selection of stories, they will have the responsibility to decide which story they want to continue, they will determine the pace of work,” explains Casas. When I was little there was a game called if and the work is based on that idea of ​​magical thoughts that we all have,” adds the director.

The work is presented as a comedy, which is why it carries lightness in the title: “We laugh at ourselves and the world in which we have to live. We tried to talk about the lightness of things with very few elements on the stage, mostly with the body and through comedy. We claim that it is a place where we feel comfortable. Living life as a game, because we are under so much pressure that we are always looking for moments to play.

Mr. Smith’s company, as Pedro Casas explains, starts from a horizontal concept, in which dramaturgy, light and body have the same importance, are on the same level. “The texts are created during rehearsals through the playwright”, he adds. They strive to tell new stories, always dealing with everyday problems, using current language. therefore, in Mr. Smith’s night they cure immortality; in Lizard skin, they talk about the secrets that all families have; and in else, dive into the search for identity and differences with others.

His shows never ignore the presence of the audience. The relationship between the actors and the audience is always present, either because they see themselves reflected in the work and this prompts them to think, or because at some point they are part of its development, as happens in Ifa (lightness). The name of the company has a lot to do with the topics they deal with. “We chose Mr. Smith because he is an everyday name like the issues we present. It could be Mr. García or Mr. González, but we liked the latter better,” laughs Casas.

About twenty papers and meetings with companies

Ribadavia International Theater Festival (MIT) turns 39 as a reference to the scene in Galicia. This edition, which will last until July 23, offers more than twenty theater performances and up to six times a day, among which stand out street performances, parallel activities and the coexistence of consolidated artists and emerging values.

It has several Max awards, such as the actress Alessandra García or the recently founded company Mujer en Obras. Also groups with the New Voices of Critics award, such as Las Huecas, or with the Xuventude Crea award, in the case of Vórtica Escénico.

Lovers of the scene can enjoy shows, some of which are premieres in Galicia, in incomparable settings, such as the amphitheater of Sarmiento Castle, at prices that vary between five and ten euros. In addition, there are special discount coupons for those who want to enjoy all programs.

The course will be held this Tuesday clown with Rui Paixão, from Portugal, and with work Ifa (lightness) company Mr. Smith, you can enjoy it Time to loopItalian Duo Kaos (8:30 p.m.).

Every day, at dawn and after the performance, open meetings are held with the participating societies. In parallel, there are street performances in different parts of the city and on the tracks.

Several Galician creations were presented at MIT in a premiere, co-production or collaboration, highlighting the show Car to Castromildirected by Quico Cadaval, which will be performed next Sunday at eleven o’clock in the evening.

This year, the Roberto Vidal Bolaño Honorary Award was awarded to journalist Luis Álvarez Pousa and director, playwright and theater producer Eduardo Alonso. On the other hand, MIT is the chosen place to award the 2023 Galician Theater Academy Award to Rosa Álvarez Cabo for her long career. The appointment will be on Saturday at the town hall. Álvarez Cabo, widow of Ernesto Chao, was part of the Abrente group, with an active role in the Ribadavia Theater Week, the precedent of the current competition.