A new approach to confinement
The renowned playwright and director María Velasco presents her latest work, That Noise is an Animal, which premieres this Thursday at the Cuarta Pared Theatre. The piece addresses the theme of isolation, not only physical but also existential, in an era marked by digital disconnection and superficial relationships. Velasco invites the audience to reflect on how confinement can be both a prison and an opportunity to connect with oneself and with others.
In this play, music plays a fundamental role. With influences ranging from the didgeridoo to classical music, as well as contemporary genres like techno and trance, Velasco seeks to create a sound environment that awakens the audience's emotions. The stage proposal includes dancing bodies that explore collective hysteria and the search for identity in times of crisis.
The cast is made up of young actors such as Marina Herranz, Álvaro Leiva, Lucía Sánchez, Chelo Valma, and Fran Vélez, who portray a group of friends trapped at a music festival that becomes their refuge for weeks due to a pandemic. Through their characters, a critique of contemporary individualism is raised, advocating for the importance of community.
Throughout the play, Velasco references historical phenomena such as the dancing plague, where hundreds of people danced uncontrollably in Strasbourg in 1518. This event is used as a metaphor to explore how repressed emotions can lead to extreme reactions. The playwright notes that "hysteria provokes catharsis," suggesting that theatre can be a safe space to experience these collective emotions.
Through her work, María Velasco argues that theatre should not only be seen as entertainment but as a form of cultural resistance. In her own words: "Theatre is our substitute for the rave when we could not choose both things." This statement resonates deeply in times when it is increasingly difficult to find spaces to contemplate and reflect on our humanity.
Despite her accumulated success in large theatres, Velasco continues her collaboration with alternative spaces like Cuarta Pared, where she has developed much of her artistic career. This return to her roots represents not only a form of professional survival but also a rejection of pigeonholing within the theatrical world.
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