This Chilean production by Teatro Niño Proletario is directed by Francisco Medina, who is also behind the staged reading of Neva
La Salita, Auditorio de Tenerife’s theatre programme, presents two Chilean productions directed by Francisco Medina this week. On Friday, 2 October, and Saturday, 3 October, Teatro Niño Proletario presents Cerebro, a theatrical work exploring the cerebral reality of Jorge Becker, an actor who has been living with the after-effects of a virus that has prevented him from pursuing a conventional acting career for the past decade. As a related event, tomorrow, Thursday, 1 October, there will be a staged reading of Neva, by Chilean playwright Guillermo Calderón. All performances begin at 7.30 p.m.
What if one day your brain failed you? What if, from one moment to the next, remembering, speaking and moving became a daily struggle? Actor Jorge Becker has been living with this reality for more than ten years and now brings his experience to a production that invites audiences to reflect on the human brain.
Becker was one of the most promising performers of the early 2000s. He was directed by Guillermo Calderón in landmark productions such as Neva (2006) and Diciembre (2009), starred in Hamlet (2013) and appeared in several films, including Piotr: Una mala traducción, Caleidoscopio and El bosque de Karadima.
In 2016, he developed leukoencephalopathy, a viral infection that affected his brain and impaired his speech and motor functions, leaving him with multiple permanent disabilities. His short-term memory prevents him from memorising a script or choreographed sequence; his vision causes him to perceive images differently; and the right side of his body does not respond to stimuli…
In Cerebro (Brain), a co-production by GAM and Teatro Niño Proletario, Jorge Becker takes to the stage alongside five performers, fulfilling his long-held desire to return to the theatre while inviting audiences to reflect on the possibilities of the human mind in the age of artificial intelligence.
“Our aim is to stimulate Jorge’s brain through a theatrical game. Through these simple actions, we want to question our own perception of the world today, where our brains seem to be losing their human nature as social beings amid the technological maelstrom that surrounds us,” explains director Francisco Medina.
The idea originated with Becker himself. Since then, the team has been working with his doctors and neuroscientists to develop a research and creative methodology that provides a socially inclusive framework for working with an artist with multiple disabilities. It is a long, slow and delicate process, and one that is not without risks for the actor.
The audience will decide the order of the scenes and songs in real time.
“Jorge says that he forgets the past, that the future is uncertain and that he is trapped in the present. This compels our team to think alongside him in the immediacy of each scene. Together with the audience, we will inhabit that uncertainty,” says the director.
The previous evening, Neva, by Chilean playwright Guillermo Calderón, will be presented as a staged reading. First performed in 2006, the play brought Calderón international recognition. It is set against the backdrop of the Bloody Sunday, 9 January 1905, in St Petersburg, and follows three actors—including Olga Knipper, Anton Chekhov’s widow—as they attempt to rehearse while violent political repression unfolds in the streets outside.
Directed by Francisco Medina Donoso, who also performs alongside Canarian actresses Carlota Gaviño and Elisa Cano, the staged reading of Neva is free to attend, subject to availability.
Audiences attending Cerebro are strongly encouraged to attend the staged reading of Neva beforehand. Jorge Becker, the central performer in Cerebro, appeared in a production of Neva with his company more than 15 years ago. The reading has been conceived as a companion piece to Cerebro —both are directed by Francisco Medina Donoso—and offers audiences an introduction to the artistic vision and dramaturgical ideas underpinning the work.
Tickets for ‘Cerebro’, priced at 8 euros (5 euros for under-30s), can be purchased at www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the box office from Monday to Friday from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10.00 to 2.00 p.m., or by telephone on 902 317 327 during the same opening hours. La Salita’s next production will be Seré, written and directed by Lautaro Delgado Tymruk and Sofía Brito, which will take place on 8, 9, 10 and 11 October.