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The missing Teatro Guimerà was located on Calle del Pi 11. It had a very short life despite the hopes placed by its promoters. It opened its doors in 1958, but it barely lasted six years as it failed to take off.
The premises’ history had not been very promising. The old 16th century mansion had been a garage that, in 1923, had become the Sala Ampurdanesa, a theater specialized in offering puppet performances for children in its small theater. Later, it became the College of Notaries of Barcelona.
In 1957, with the help of Lluís Orduna, he tried to return to its beginnings and after refurbishing it, it was converted again into the new Guimerà Theater, with a capacity of about 200 spectators.
On Wednesday, April 16, 1958, the title company of the new theater, directed by Lluís Orduna, opened its doors in the heart of Ciutat Vella, acting as director and lead actor. That same day La Vanguardia made a comment praising the premiere and predicting great success.
Days after the premiere, journalist and writer Sergio José Vilar commented in Destino magazine: “The place has nothing modern,” joking about the historic building where the new theater was located.
Its promoters trusted that its proximity to the Maldà Galleries and the shops of Portaferrisa would serve to bring spectators closer.
Its beginnings had coincided with the attempt of its promoters to recover Catalan theater and in Catalan in the city, when precisely in the 1950s not even the Castilian theater itself had a stable market share. Only magazines and vaudevilles had important seasons in the theaters and some venues had abandoned theatrical performances to start offering film programs.
María Matilde Almendros Carcasona was presented as the first actress. She was born in Manresa on October 10, 1922. She was a radio host, producer, director, actress and dubbing actress, a pioneer and key player in the broadcasting of radio programs and in theater in the development of Catalan. She died in Barcelona on September 14, 1995.
In the performances he began to include actors who, at that time, were in the orbit of popularity: Carles Lloret and Núria Torray (Nuria Torra Resplandi), who, discovered by José Tamayo, achieved popularity by performing The Witches of Salem at the Spanish Theater in Madrid.
At Christmas, the company carried out a program with the intention of attracting families with children by representing Els Pastorets.
In 1959 it was José Sazatornil Saza who, accompanied by the actors Lolita Cristóbal and Jesús Guzmán, performed the play by José María Iglesias El chalet de los chalaos.
Two years later, due to the confrontation between José María Castañé and the owner of the Alexis Theater, Macaria Nájera Alonso, a trial was held on October 5, 1962. The Supreme Court ordered the closure of the theater, which was effective on January 7, 1963. Given the problems that the theater company had to endure with the confrontation of both parties at the Alexis Theater, they chose to move to the Guimerà Theater, where they continued with the representations.
On Wednesday, September 21, 1960, the company premiered Señora Embajadora, then achieved great success with the representation of Smith, by Somerset Maugham, adapted by Xavier Regàs.
In view of the success achieved and the continued fullness of the venue in the summer of 1961, the Guimerà Theater was subject to renovations in which priority was given to improving the comfort of the spectators, turning it into a welcoming and comfortable venue, with a decoration that preserved certain period theater character.
After Smith’s work was completed, prospects failed and the theater fell into a certain decline. One of the people who maintained hope was the actor and director Carlos Lucena, who tried to reverse the situation by changing the classic works, turning the room into a venue specialized in vaudeville performances, something that was fashionable with excellent success on Barcelona theater billboards. .
Despite their efforts and the series of premieres made by Carlos Lucena, due to the low capacity and production costs, the theater did not take off. On June 27, 1964, a cast of artists with Carlos Lucena, Marta Flores and with the collaboration of Rosa María Sardà, premiered the vaudeville Margot’s Five Minutes.
Despite the enthusiasm and desire of all the actors, on Sunday, July 5, the Guimerà Theater closed its doors forever without Carlos Lucena being able to overcome it.
