Outstanding Guantanamo exponents of the performing arts are celebrating World Theater Day today in Santiago de Cuba, in the frame of the 20th Máscara de Caoba Festival and Contest, where this week most of actors and actresses of the country will show their skills in the performing arts.
At the important event, opened on Tuesday, four accredited companies from the Villa del Guaso (former name of Guantanamo) were invited: Teatro Ríos, La Barca, the Carpandilla Circus Project, and the almost fifty-year-old Guiñol troupe, the first professional theater group that will compete with its newest plays in Santiago de Cuba.
Among the works performed by these groups include Suite Cubanísima, Un mundo de caballos y valientes and Oshosi, successfully showed to the Guantanamo public days before this event, and one of the clowns shows that previously represented the easternmost Cuban region in the IV International Clown Workshop, last week in Las Tunas.
Among the artists are the experienced puppeteer Maribel López, with 45 years of career, and the playwright Alba Babastro, who recently received La Selva Oscura Honorary Prize, awarded in Guantanamo during the celebration on the International Theater Day, which each March around the world promotes events to recognize theater persons, and the culture of peace campaign.
Babastro, playwright, critic and teacher, will be part of the central jury of the Santiago-based contest, also composed by Gerardo Fulleda, National Theater Prize 2014; Nieves Laferté, designer; Rubén Darío Salazar, director of Teatro de Las Estaciones, of Matanzas, and Abelardo Larduet, who is a musician and researcher of Casa del Caribe.
Some 14 groups from almost all the provinces of the country participate in this chapter of the Mascara de Caoba Theater Festival and Contest in Santiago de Cuba, which unlike previous years not only proposes a broad program of shows in the city, but also will be extended to the Palma Soriano Municipality, the El Cristo neighborhood and El Cobre town.
According to the schedule of competitions, the performances of the Guantanamo groups are scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Sala Mambí, on San Basilio Street, and within the collateral presentations on Wednesday 28, Guantanamo Guiñol group will perform at the special school in Vista Alegre Neighborhood.
Translation: Liubis Balart