Violencia

No, it’s not just in the United States.

Violence is taking over our cities’ streets. And it happens in different ways: a shooting, an attack, a suicide, … But the root of the problem is always the same: our mental health is gravely affected by the coupling of crisis and insufficient political action. Social bonds are breaking down. The loss of the sense of belonging is causing this destruction. We are social animals.

This collapse is hitting our youth particularly hard: suicide is now the leading cause of death among people under 30 in Spain. Shootings at schools in the United States, the attack at the LGBT+ Pride in Oslo and other tragic developments all point to a common source: a malaise that is deeply rooted, silenced and structural. This work aims to shed light on the massive problem.

Who is responsible? What bearing do the internet and social networks have on our mental health? Are politicians really assuming their responsibility?

How shall pain be put into words? How shall we untangle the mess so that the pain flows freely rather than becoming ingrown? How shall we go about creating a collective narrative that eschews the simplistic view of good vs. evil? How are we to forgive that which we do not understand and yet threatens our very existence?

In Violencia, the great contemporary debates gather around a table. The work puts forth a question that defines our times: where are we headed as a society? If institutional responses fail and parliaments become meaningless, it is up to us, as artists, to take on the responsibility. We must portray onstage the urgent issues that are not being addressed appropriately. Addressing contemporary tragedy is among the purposes of theatre. Without metaphors. Without filters. Without makeup. Only the subject of analysis and the beings who embody it. In its crudest form. In its most valid form.

A means of bringing on catharsis. And perhaps, only a means of revealing a plausible path. A path on which we can begin to walk anew.

Diego Garrido

This play was inspired by the 2019 film Mass, written and directed by Fran Kranz. By no accident, it won the Young Jury Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2021, among other achievements. Its language is profoundly inspiring and suggests, rather than imposes, a dialogue between generations.

Fran, born and raised in Los Angeles, has dedicated most of his career to acting. He debuted as a director in ‘Mass’, which catapulted him onto the international scene and launched his meteoric career.

A connection with the style of Tennessee Williams runs through the film, making it a powerful and unforgettable experience. Fran is thoroughly familiar with the American playwright’s work, having interpreted several of his plays on Broadway. That experience is evident in his precise, restrained directorial style, in which simplicity shines like a beacon in the night. The spectator cannot look away. The plot, the tempo, and the polished, extreme script demand absolute presence, which is a rare and much-needed thing in these troubled times.