The XLV Caguas Theater Festival, to be held from October 4 to 27, 2024, at the centennial Luis M. Arcelay Theater, will be dedicated to the actor Daniel Lugo. According to the mayor of Caguas, William E. Miranda Torres, and the municipality’s Department of Cultural Development, this year the festival is named after the actor, in recognition of his artistic career in the performing arts, such as theater, film, and television inside and outside of Puerto Rico, exalting the name of the Creole city.
For four weekends, citizens will be able to enjoy theatrical productions that will be presented free of charge with limited capacity. The performances will be held on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4:00 p.m. To reserve tickets, you can call 787-746-4354 or 787-653-8833 extensions 1800 and 1842, while supplies last. On Friday, October 4, 2024, there will be a special time at 8:00 p.m. for protocol events.
Below is the list of plays – and their synopses – that will make up the forty-fifth edition of the Daniel Lugo Caguas Theatre Festival.
October 4, 5 and 6
Work: Betrayal in friendship
Anamin Santiago Theater Company, Inc.
This play is based on the 17th century comedy written by María de Zayas y Sotomayor, which places women in the position of being able to choose who they want to love. The female figures represent mistakes and successes. It tells the story of Marcia, who is smitten by Liceo. She tells this to her best friend Fenisa, who betrays her by becoming Liseo’s lover. Marcia conspires with other women to create a female sisterhood that will engender a new, just order.
This piece entertains, reason and proposes sisterhood as a tool for change. This comedy is relevant today, as it is the women who try to break gender barriers and who will establish the solutions to the conflicts that arise in it. In it, the author amalgamates in a sympathetic, yet profound way, the masculine and feminine in all the characters, highlighting the feminine characteristics, with their contradictions, as keys to achieving equality.
October 11, 12 and 13
Work: Grandma gets married
Little Group of Happiness
This play is about a woman who has struggled to raise her five children, four of whom are professionals and the youngest is wonderfully cared for at home because he is disabled. When this woman comes of age, her children decide to send her to a nursing home to sell all the family assets, since their mother has turned 97 and there is no one to care for her. They receive resistance from the grandchildren who come up with a plan to prevent their grandmother from going to the nursing home, without first considering other measures. The plot is interesting, it has moments of comedy, music and dramatic action, with an ending that will leave you speechless.
October 18, 19 and 20
Work: Tite Curet Alonso: Lyrics and Poetry
National Foundation for Popular Culture and Latinx Performance Ensemble
This stage production is a free adaptation for theater made by Josean Ortiz, who also directs and stars in it, from the book “Tite Curet Alonso: Lyrics and Song” written by Ponce-born folklorist Norma Salazar. It is focused on highlighting the outstanding artistic legacy of this Puerto Rican composer and poet, whose work has left an indelible mark on Latin music. This play is a rescue of our cultural memory, since the life and work of Tite Curet Alonso are intrinsically linked to Puerto Rican culture and identity. It is an opportunity to continue preserving his cultural memory, ensuring that his legacy lives on for future generations and serves as an inspiration for emerging artists and poets.
October 25, 26 and 27
Work: lie to me
Blue Curtain Company, Inc.
The wedding day is possibly the most important day for anyone in love. This play tells the story of Juan Carlos, a man who until that day thought he had his life sorted out and under control until an unexpected event turns everything upside down. The bride does not show up at the ceremony, leaving a state of chaos and confusion. This fact causes Juan Carlos to wake up to reality and realize the lie he has lived for so many years, which has been woven by his own family represented by his sister Eva.
A story that shows that family is not only tied to blood ties, but that family is also those who are there in good times and bad: friends. It highlights values such as friendship, self-love, respect and acceptance, which are fundamental elements that weave the plot of lie to me making us travel through various emotions and, above all, learning that love is not a one-way street.
