Leal Theatre Premieres Original Production "Encrucijadas. Un espejo lejano"

The Leal Theatre in La Laguna is putting on its first original production, a collaboration with local company Zálatta Teatro. The play, titled Encrucijadas. Un espejo lejano (Crossroads. A Distant Mirror), is by renowned Canarian playwright Cirilo Leal and directed by Telesforo Rodríguez.

The play, which celebrates the world of theatre, opens on Monday, December 8th, at 8:30 PM. It stars Héctor Armas, Inés Rodríguez, and Wame Gutiérrez, with supporting roles by Eva González and Leticia Torres. Fabián Lomio designed the set, and Ana María Márquez created the costumes and character looks.

Adrián del Castillo, the Councillor for Culture, praised the premiere, stating it "confirms the Leal Theatre as a cultural hub, a place for creativity, and a supporter of high-quality, professional artistic projects." He added that this partnership with a long-standing Canarian theatre company paves the way for future collaborations with other groups in the region. "Premiering a play by one of the Canary Islands' great authors also helps champion theatrical writing from the islands," he noted.

Encrucijadas. Un espejo lejano tells the story of a theatre preparing to reopen after being closed for many years. The old Usher eagerly awaits the arrival of the Patron, the theatre's benefactor. The Patron, for reasons unknown, never attended the theatre's opening and was never properly acknowledged by the city, despite donating the building.

The Usher wants to finally pay tribute to the Patron, but the Deceiver aims to stop this meeting. The Deceiver fears it could prevent the building from being turned into a commercial space, which was the original plan before the bank that acquired it went bankrupt. The Spinner's role is to bring clarity to a situation filled with idealism, greed, and business interests.

Cirilo Leal Mújica is a psychologist, journalist, TV writer, and playwright. He has received the Réplica de Honor Award from the Association of Performing Arts Companies of the Canary Islands. His work often explores memory, experiences, and traditions, which he translates into plays, journalism, novels, and films. He has also written and directed documentary series for television and is involved in projects focused on preserving and sharing popular history.

His notable plays, often inspired by real-life stories, include Las lanchas rápidas, El indiano, and La ciudadela (which won the Francisco Martínez Viera Theatre Award). He also wrote La conjura (Ángel Guimerá Award), La querencia (Domingo Pérez Minik Award), La carnada (Ciudad de La Laguna Award, 1996), El espacio de los desvelos (another Pérez Minik Award from the University of La Laguna), La danza de la sabina, Va el alma por pasar, La galería, and Historia de la viña del loro.

Zálatta Teatro was founded in 1988 by actor, director, and producer Telesforo Rodríguez and actress, singer, and producer Eva González. As a touring company, they present their productions in various theatres, venues, festivals, and fairs across Spain and internationally. Their work has been shown throughout the Canary Islands, in different parts of mainland Spain, and in countries like Portugal, Argentina, and Colombia. They perform a range of theatre, from classic to contemporary pieces, including shows for families.