La Laguna Hosts Inaugural Golden Age Festival to Revitalize Historical Theater
The inaugural Golden Age Festival in San Cristóbal de La Laguna transforms the historic Convent of Santo Domingo into a traditional open-air theater to revitalize 16th and 17th-century Spanish literature.
Bringing historical spaces back to life is one of the best ways to preserve our cultural heritage. This weekend, the former Convent of Santo Domingo in San Cristóbal de La Laguna was transformed into a traditional corral de comedias (an open-air theater) to host the first Golden Age Festival of La Laguna. The event aims to introduce modern audiences to the classic works of the 16th and 17th centuries through an immersive experience.
The highlight of Saturday’s schedule was Zálatta Teatro’s performance of El pretendiente ridículo at 8:00 p.m. However, the festival offers much more than just plays; it focuses on historical revitalization. Starting at 7:00 p.m., the evening featured a themed reception with interactive photo spots and a manifesto reading by Miguel Ángel Jerez. The program also included a performance by Imprudentes Teatro and a dramatic musical finale by the event organizers, Timaginas Teatro, who presented a selection of short plays by Cervantes and Lope de Vega.
This festival celebrates a vital era in Spanish cultural history. The programming continues through Sunday, featuring another performance by Imprudentes Teatro, followed by the Fundación Siglo de Oro’s interpretation of Los sonetos de Lope. The festival concludes on Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. with Timaginas Teatro’s production, La farsa del Siglo de Oro. By returning these classical texts to the intimate, traditional settings they were written for, the festival not only enriches the city’s cultural scene but also ensures these timeless stories remain relevant today.