Toni Casares, director of the Sala Beckett, says that they have managed to get José Sanchis Sinisterra to accept the word “recognition”, because he does not want to hear about it, that he is not dying. The fact is that the emblematic theater that the Valencian playwright founded in 1989 has decided to recognize him for his enormous work as a “playwright, pedagogue and activist”.
If in 1996 Sanchis Sinisterra and his team organized Tardor Pinter, a playwright he discovered to the public here, now comes Tardor Sanchis, which will program shows, readings and activities around his work and “the influence in contemporary Catalan and Spanish theatre”, says Casares. Works that will be seen in Barcelona at La Beckett, but also at Tantarantana, Goya, Versus Glòries and La Gleva; in Madrid, at the Teatro de la Abadía; in Valencia, at the Rialto; and in Alicante, at the Arniches, thanks to the collaboration with the Valencian Institute of Culture.
In an interesting two-hour conversation, the founder and the current director of the Beckett reviewed the professional life of the former, while presenting the shows and activities of this Autumn Sanchis. The great works of the playwright will not be missing, in addition to other related ones, a few days of study at the Theater Institute and the reading of his latest work: Correr tras un ciervo herido, although he confesses that he is working on three more pieces
This recognition will begin with “a gift” that the organizers want to give him. The person in charge will be Pablo Rosal, “an author who reminds us of him”, says Casares, and who will present Castroponce. Theory and practice for a 21st century vanguard. Rosal already dazzled the Beckett audience this winter with the unclassifiable Murder of a photographer.
Carles Alfaro will direct El lector por horas, which Sanchis says is “a plagiarism of Pinter”. On stage, Pep Cruz, Pere Ponce and Mar Ulldemolins. Yolanda Porras is in charge of directing ¡Ay, Carmela!, with Paula Iwasaki and Guillermo Serrano, the play that provided Sanchis with good income, thanks to which he was able to open the first Beckett theater, in the Gràcia neighborhood.
Los desiertos crecen de noche will be directed by David Lorente and Clara Sanchis, the author’s daughter, who will also play it, with Concha Delgado and José Luis Patiño. Sanchis’ first success, Ñaque o de piojos y actores, will be directed by himself with Daniela De Vecchi, with the actors Javier Godino and Joan Martínez Vidal. And with Eva Redondo he will direct Vitalicios, with Magdalena Broto, Marta de Frutos and Santiago Nogués.
There will be dramatized readings of other works by Sanchis Sinisterra, or adaptations such as Bartleby, the writer, by Melville. All together to recognize the influence of this theater giant, now 83 years old.
