Spanish Rural Crisis Takes Center Stage in Award-Winning Documentary Play
Teatro El Sauzal will host the award-winning play I Was Born in a Bean Furrow, a documentary-style production by Almealera that explores the challenges facing rural farming communities in Spain.
The struggle to keep farming alive in Spain is being told in an unexpected way: through the performing arts. Next Saturday at 8:00 p.m., Teatro El Sauzal will host I Was Born in a Bean Furrow (Yo nací en un surco de judías), a production by the Ávila-based company Almealera. Using documentary and object theater, the play explores the fading traditions of agriculture and livestock farming.
Directed by Laura Santos, who also stars in the show alongside Patricia Arroyo and Belén de Santiago, the production is based on 3,600 kilometers of fieldwork across Spain’s most sparsely populated regions. By sharing the direct testimonies of farmers, the play highlights the economic and social hurdles that make these professions increasingly difficult to sustain. This project is part of the broader FARM research initiative, led by Petra Benyei of the CSIC’s Institute of Economics, Geography, and Demography.
The play has gained significant recognition beyond academic circles, winning Best Show at the 2026 International Performing Arts Fair for Children and Families (Feten) in Gijón. This award highlights the importance of bringing the realities of rural life to a wider, younger audience.
Almealera, founded by Santos in the tiny village of Navacepedilla de Corneja, focuses on community-driven storytelling. The company aims to give a voice to rural communities often overlooked by mainstream culture. With this performance, the group hopes to spark a national conversation about the future and sustainability of rural Spain.