Theatre is also democratic
Review about “Alerta”, a play by Marianne Eilers Gonzàlez, performed at the Bread & Roses Theatre in July.
We are in Chile and it is 2018. Several education centres and colleges had challenged the status quo from within: students had decided to take their classrooms and lock themself as a way of protesting against unfair treatment. But, who is getting that much noise and alarm? Women are. This is what Alerta play is all about.
In a similar approach to “Women Talking” the movie (2022), Alerta is performed by 10 actors who interact between each other and sitting next to the audience, allowing us to experience closely the fears, the dreams, and the unfortunate events that lead the protagonist to fight against their authorities with strength and vulnerability at the same time.
“Coming up with this show has been a huge and beautiful journey of personal, cultural collective and inspiring discovery. Alerta explores a part of my life in Chile, during the feminist wave in 2018. Creating Alerta comes from a need to tell these stories that drive us to bridge distances, to question, to unite”, shared the director Marianne Eilers González.
What I loved about this play is that it promotes democratic principles which are disappearing in some of the countries where the actors come from, and my own particularly. . Actions such as voting or hearing others’ viewpoints are powerful tools to make everybody feel listened and included. Of course coming to an agreement is always the difficult part and the play highlights this.
When I left the room, it was a shame not knowing if I had to come back. I never knew what happened to these girls up there and how their fight ended. Maybe it is just like democracy: it is always a “work in progress”. But the show had sparked my curiosity about the feminist ‘revolution’ in Chile.
Tell me more!
Alerta is created with 100% Latin America creative team and cast, having performers from Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Nicaragua, Perú, Brazil and México. Alerta combines theatre and activism to create a thought-provoking and impactful portrayal of the feminist movement. Search for it. Read about it and shared it.
Have a look at @alertatheplay on Instagram.
By Cristina Martinez