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Inspired by real events, The Wedding of the President’s Daughter is a theatrical show that exposes what might have happened in a wedding whose red carpet paraded many powerful figures, who years later were prosecuted or convicted of corruption.
It is regarding the celebration that had as protagonist the daughter of the former Spanish president José María Aznar, nicknamed at that time by society as the third infanta. It is that the costs of the wedding were so high that it resembled a royal event. According to the press, the event was paid for with funds from the Gürtel plot, a network of political corruption linked to the Popular Party in 2002.
Such was the impact caused by this wedding that the authors Juan Mayorga (today a member of the Royal Spanish Academy) and Juan Cavestany decided to face this wonderful parody of political humor, giving life to various characters such as the president’s driver, a Minister of Defense and the candidates to succeed the presidency, with the purpose of exposing the thoughts of the left and right of power through scenes that might have occurred in that event.
It turns out that “power is the same everywhere”, as a fragment of the work indicates. That is why our Argentine version, which is presented every Monday at 8:00 p.m. in Hasta Trilce, did not require a great adaptation of the text to fit in time and space. The great achievement of the actors was to give voice to those characters that may exist in our socio-political life so that the work is closer to us.
Thinking that we premiered this show in 2019, where the political figures differed from 2022, led us to generate new adaptations in each year of release. The wedding of the president’s daughter is one of those shows that do not lose validity, and that make us laugh and reflect simultaneously. A work that uses humor as a tool to make us wonder regarding power, who governs us and who we elect to do so.
In addition to the rich text, the work presents a dynamic staging to hold the viewer’s attention. The actors wear a basic black jumpsuit, to which they add different clothes and accessories to give life to a new character. The changes are made in front of the public and, between act and act, choreographic movements are added to give a greater sense of fluidity – as if the waltz were being danced between each scene. These are some of the resources that the staging has so that the public feels part of the wedding.
Almost 20 years following the text was written, this is the first time that The Wedding of the President’s Daughter is performed in Argentina. It is a great jewel of Mayorga who is one of the most represented authors in recent years in the world. He came into contact with his material following having worked in the production of shows such as Los Yugoslavos and Reykjavík, also authored by him.
The greatest satisfaction that this work gives me: the great group of actors that has been formed since its inception and to date- that camaraderie that is reflected so well on stage-, having received the support of talented directors and journalists with their words of encouragement, and to have met a being as remarkable as Mayorga who writes to me with such humility and joy every time we exchange words. This is only the first of his works that I have come to direct. I share his way of writing and thinking so much that it is surely the beginning of a long and rich path.
The play can be seen on Mondays in March and April, at 8:00 p.m., at the Hasta Trilce theater, Maza 177. It is performed by Cristian Sabaz, Ariel Gangemi, Miguel Haddad, Diego Blanco and Juan Cereghini and accompanied by live and original music by Alejandro Weber on the wonderful grand piano of Hasta Trilce.
*Director, producer and actor.
