"El Coronel no tiene quien le escriba" de García Márquez-Carlos Giménez: video versión original con José Tejera, Aura Rivas (1989) y Ángel Fernández Mateu (1993)

"Absolutamente emocionante, pero de veras (...) no esperaba que fuera tan emocionante, tan conmovedora para mí y tengo la impresión de que para el público también, porque me di cuenta de que todo el mundo quedó en suspenso desde la primera palabra hasta la última. No se oyó volar una mosca, no se oía respirar. Es emocionante realmente”.


Gabriel García Márquez
Premio Nobel de Literatura
Declaraciones dadas la noche del estreno en México, agosto 1989

"Fragmentar la realidad, descodificar una unidad que es falsa y se basa en la rutina de repetir que existe, que es sólo lo que vemos. Volver sobre el tiempo y reiterar que nos aferramos a él para hacer lógica la existencia.

Necesitamos del pasado para darle sentido al presente. Caso contrario, caemos en el vacío y los fantasmas que nos habitan salen a la calle, se instalan en nuestras casas, comen y beben de nosotros. Tomar un trozo de la realidad: el instante en que la mujer del coronel sale a patio, remienda y hace el milagro de las prendas nuevas, y no ve caer la tarde, ni escucha el pito de la cigarra. Congelar ese instante, hacerlo eterno en la memoria. Suspender el color y los sonidos, luchar contra la dictadura del tiempo que pasa sin hacer ruido.

El Coronel no tiene quien le escriba es el drama del hombre común de América Latina. La esperanza fallida, la ilusión rota en promesas no cumplidas, en asaltos a la honestidad y en pactos de muerte. Una mujer y un hombre unidos por el fracaso. El hijo muerto, la casa hipotecada, la pensión que no llega; la dignidad, como coraza, para negar el horror de que ya no hay futuro.

Poder, espacio y tiempo, temas que son una constante en la trayectoria de Rajatabla. Acercarse al texto de El Coronel es introducirse en el drama de la sociedad latinoamericana. Y hemos querido hacerlo con rigor, sin concesiones a los arquetipos revolucionarios de una fiebre perdida. 

Nunca más vigente que ahora, este canto a la desesperanza, este presagio que, partiendo del escenario, nos habla de uno y de todos. Desde la casa del coronel, vemos abrirse los muros, extenderse las ciénaga, ganar la lluvia,  saquear los muebles y objetos, crecer el vacío, imponerse la soledad como destino. Superposición de tiempos y modificación de espacios regulan esta puesta en escena que intenta aproximarse a la tragedia.  Tragedia de un hombre y unos pueblos sometidos a la expoliación de su riqueza y a la traición de la esperanza". 

Carlos Giménez, texto del programa de mano, 1989.

El actor Ángel Fernández Mateu realizó el papel de El Coronel

a partir de 1992, debido a la enfermedad y posterior fallecimiento

de José Tejera

Fuente: 

Ana Lía Cassina / Carmen Gallardo /Carlos Cassina /  Viviana Marcela Iriart /

"Rajatabla 20 años" de Blanca Sánchez y David Rojas

THEATER; In Latin America, Headlines Inspire The Drama /By Larry Rohter, July 30, 1989, The New York Times

MEXICO CITY— For the Latin American theater, the headlines on today's front page have become as rich a source of inspiration as the hallowed classics of Lope de Vega or Garcia Lorca. Exile, revolution, political repression, the foreign debt and drug trafficking are themes that are increasingly capturing the imagination of Latin American playwrights and directors, and it is precisely those concerns that permeate the works that will be performed at the monthlong Festival Latino at the Public Theater in New York, which begins this week.

In all, seven dramatic plays will be presented at the festival, some in Spanish, others in English or with simultaneous translation provided. A majority of the works are new, while a few are adaptations of novels, short stories or recognized international classics, recast to make them more pertinent to Latin American audiences. But whatever their origin, their principal objective is to address the social and political reality around them.

''The headline in a Chilean newspaper can be much stronger for us, may the gods of literature forgive me, than a work of Brecht, because it is something that belongs to us and resounds in our innards,'' said the Chilean director Raul Osorio, leader of the Investigative Theater Troupe that will present the allegorical ''No Mas.'' ''If a friend of mine has been tortured and he tells me about it, that has more force than literature. Our reality is much stronger, both more tense and intense, than any fiction I can find.''

This year's festival, the 13th, has a distinct Caribbean flavor, with two of its plays originating from Venezuela and others representing the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Colombia, along with Mexico and Chile. In addition, three musicals written by Cuban-American playwrights are on the festival bill, as are a series of six films called ''Dangerous Loves,'' based on short stories of the Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and the annual ''Concert for Peace and Friendship,'' this year featuring Dizzy Gillespie and jazz and salsa players from the Caribbean.

''Our goal is to develop a truly Latin dramaturgy, and in order to do that, we must always try to address themes with which our public identifies,'' said Cecilia Vega, who was born in El Salvador and is the co-director of the festival with Oscar Ciccone, a native of Argentina. ''Last year our theme was human rights, and this year we also have a pronounced orientation toward problems that relate to daily life.''

José Tejera y Aura Rivas

The play most likely to be familiar to New York audiences is an adaptation by the Fundacion Rajatabla of Venezuela of Mr. Garcia Marquez's novella ''No One Writes to the Colonel'' (Tuesday through Saturday). Set in a decaying Colombian port, it focuses on a retired military officer who has patiently been waiting decades to receive the first payment on the pension due him for services to his country. At the same time, the old man is struggling to emerge from the depression caused by the recent murder of his only son, a cockfighting enthusiast whose prize rooster is now the colonel's only prospect of making enough money to go on living.

''This story is one of tremendous topicality for Latin Americans, who hope that their hopes will not come to naught,'' said the director Carlos Gimenez, who adapted the story to the stage with other members of his Caracas-based company. ''All of us in Latin America are always waiting for a letter that never comes, always hoping that something will come along to change our destinies and the unjust fates of our countries.''

When Mr. Gimenez first read Mr. Garcia Marquez's novella, ''it read to me like the saga of a tragic personage, like King Lear,'' he said. In translating the story to the stage, he has emphasized that tragic aspect with a set he describes as ''permanently immersed in a climate of rain.'' As time passes and the colonel's quest seems further and further from fulfillment, the walls of his house crumble and his sadness at the death of his son grows into hallucination. This proud man, who refuses to wear a hat because ''that way I don't have to take it off to anyone,'' is even forced to exchange greetings with his son's murderer, who continues to roam the streets unpunished.

''This is a tragedy about daily life, about the common man who believes that happiness and joy are possible in the midst of a social landscape as terrible as ours,'' Mr. Gimenez said. ''When things happen to us in Latin America, it is never by halves. There is no equilibrium, so when it rains, towns get inundated and disappear, and when we have a revolution, half the population dies.''

Ultimately, however, the play ends on an optimistic note. When the colonel's wife chastises him, saying ''You can't eat illusions,'' he corrects her: ''You can't eat them, but they do nourish you.'' As we take leave of the colonel, he is sitting in a rocking chair at his window, hoping the next mail delivery will bring the letter he wants.

The script developed for ''El Paso, o la Parabola del Camino'' (''El Paso, or the Parable of the Path'') by the Candelaria Theater Company of Colombia begins much like ''No One Writes to the Colonel,'' with a group of people waiting hopefully in a small, desolate Colombian town, this time stranded at an inn by the breakdown of their car. But before the play ends, a clandestine arms shipment has been exchanged for a suitcase full of money and one of the innocent bystanders has been killed by two mysterious strangers.

By Larry Rohter

July 30, 1989

The New York Times

Source: The New York Times

Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival Moving Image Collection presenta "La Tempestad" de Shakespeare, dirección Carlos Giménez, Nueva York, 1991: video

The tempest

Autor:	Joseph Papp; Carlos Giménez; Oscar Ciccone; Cecilia Vega;
Editorial:	New York, 1991.
Serie:	Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival Moving Image Collection
Edición/Formato:	Video VHS : Cinta VHS  Material visual  Material de archivo : Español (spa)
Resumen:	A production of Shakespeare's The tempest presented by the Venezuelan theater group Rajatabla, as part of the New York Shakespeare Festival's, Festival Latino in New York. Three performances, taped over three evenings, are included.
Temas	New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater. -- Shakespeare in the Park. Festival Latino en Nueva York. Theater -- New York (State) -- New York. Género/Forma: Drama Tipo de material: Grabación de video Tipo de documento Material visual, Material de archivo Todos autores / colaboradores: Joseph Papp; Carlos Gimenez; William Lopez; Oscar Ciccone; Cecilia Vega; Ugo Ulive; Marcelo Pont-Verges; Augusto Gonzalez; Hugo Marquez; Juan Carlos Nunez; Eduardo Bolivar; Jorge Borges; Andres Vazquez; Gabriel Flores; Freddy Belisario; Jason Steven Cohen; Erich Wildpret; Jose Tejera; Nathalia Martinez; Daniel Lopez; Jesus Araujo; Rodolfo Villafranca; Norman Santana; German Mendieta; Francesco Alfaro; Aitor Gaviria; Ramon Goliz; William Cuao; Cosme Cortazar; Anibal Grunn; Ricardo Martinez; Hector Becerra; Ismael Mongagas; Gregorio Milano; Ivezku Celis; Alejandro Faillace; William Shakespeare; New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater.; Festival Latino en Nueva York.; Fundación Rajatabla. Número OCLC: 85042791 Nota del idioma: In Spanish. No These videos separated from the New York Shakespeare Festival collection, *T-Mss 1993-028. Videocassette one: 167 min. Videocassette two: 165 min. Videocassette three: 166 min. Copy of program is available. Video and sound quality are fair. Créditos: Set and lighting design, Marcelo Pont-Verges and Augusto Gonzalez ; costume design by Hugo Marquez, Marcelo Pont-Verges and Gabriel Flores ; original music by Juan Carlos Nunez ; sound by Eduardo Bolivar ; artistic production, Jorge Borges, Andres Vazquez, Gabriel Flores ; technical director, Freddy Belisario ; associate producer, Jason Steven Cohen. Reparto: Erich Wildpret, Jose Tejera, Nathalia Martinez, Daniel Lopez, Jesus Araujo, Rodolfo Villafranca, Norman Santana, German Mendieta, Hugo Marquez, Aitor Gaviria, Ramon Goliz, William Cuao, Cosme Cortazar, Anibal Grunn, Ricardo Martinez, Hector Becerra, Ismael Mongagas, Gregorio Milano, Ivezku Celis, Alejandro Faillace. Notas de producción: Videotaped at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park on three evenings ca. August 1991. Exact dates of performances are unknown. Descripción: 3 videocassettes (VHS) (498 min.) : sound, color, SLP ; 1/2 in. Título de la serie: Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival Moving Image Collection Otros títulos: Tempestad Responsabilidad: New York Shakespeare Festival in association with New York Telephone and with the cooperation of the City of New York, Joseph Papp presents Fundacion Rajatabla in ; directed by Carlos Gimenez ; adapted by Ugo Ulive ; Festival Latino directors, Oscar Ciccone and Cecilia Vega ; Rajatabla's executive producer, William Lopez ; [video producer, the New York Shakespeare Festival]. Resumen: A production of Shakespeare's The tempest presented by the Venezuelan theater group Rajatabla, as part of the New York Shakespeare Festival's, Festival Latino in New York. Three performances, taped over three evenings, are included. Pedir prestado / conseguir un ejemplar: World Cat

Hungry for Culture? Or Dinner? Have Both By FLORENCE FABRICANT, The New York Times, JUNE 21, 1991

Hungry for Culture? Or Dinner? Have Both 

By FLORENCE FABRICANT, The New York Times, JUNE 21, 1991

WHETHER Joseph Papp or the organizers of the New York Philharmonic's free concerts in the park like it or not, they have given their audiences dinner theater. Look around the Great Lawn of Central Park during a concert or before a performance by the New York Shakespeare Festival any weekend, and all you see is people eating and drinking.

For some who find that culture makes them hungry, the solution is usually to be found in last-minute hot dogs from a pushcart vendor or the sandwiches and pastries sold outside the Delacorte Theater. But others devote the same kind of planning to the open-air feast as they would for a dinner party. It's not uncommon to see picnics in the park by candlelight with buckets holding bottles of wine and steaks sizzling on portable hibachis.

The time and planning required to assemble a satisfying picnic of just-cooked foods and fresh cool salads, along with all the necessary equipment, may be out of the question for those who work all day and hope to arrive to spread out their tablecloths before the conductor raises the baton. But that does not mean settling for soggy tuna on rye from the deli.

By mid-June, catering shops and some restaurants are ready for the concertgoers and others who enjoy eating dinner in a park. Many have organized special menus with the necessary utensils. Some even have a supply of custom-designed boxes or baskets to hold the spread.

There are hundreds of menu possibilities at dozens of places: simple yet stylish fare like grilled marinated chicken or focaccia stuffed with mozzarella and arugula; luxurious repasts like smoked salmon or cold poached fish with green sauce.Some carryout shops require a day's notice to assemble picnics; others need less than an hour. Many will prepare custom picnics and will even fill a customer's own basket. Here are some recommended picnic providers, all within a few blocks of Central Park.

AKEMI, 1128 Third Avenue, at 66th Street, (212) 734-1532. Japanese restaurants and some fish markets sell attractive boxes of asorted sushi and salads. Traditionally, these have been arranged in handsome lacquer bento boxes, but these days foil and plastic are more commonly used. Akemi offers one bento assortment with portions of California roll with salad and rice, along with chicken wings, Japanese potato croquettes, condiments and chopsticks for $9. Beverages are extra, and orders for the evening should be placed by noon. Hours: 11:30 A.M. to 9 P.M. Monday to Sunday.

AMSTERDAM'S BAR AND GRILL, 428 Amsterdam Avenue, at 81st Street, (212) 874-1377. This restaurant has three picnic menus for $14.95 each, offering poached or grilled chicken or poached trout, with potatoes, salad, fruit and cookies. These picnics, packed with utensils, can be ordered with only a 15-minute wait. Hours: Noon to midnight Monday to Sunday.

BURKE & BURKE, 2 Lincoln Center, at 66th Street, (212) 799-7000, and at other locations throughout Manhattan. Purple boxes come filled with a sandwich, salad, fruit, dessert and a soft drink or sparkling water for $15 each. For $30, pate, salmon caviar and cheeses with crackers are added. Disposable utensils, plates and cups are included. The meal is ready to go in half an hour. Boxes can be assembled for 12 or more with 24 hours' notice. Delivery can be arranged. Hours: 7 A.M. to midnight Monday to Friday; 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday.CANARD AND COMPANY, 1292 Madison Avenue, at 91st Street, (212) 722-1046. Five enticing picnic menus, featuring hearty salads like shrimp and avocado or swordfish with roasted vegetables, come packed in baskets for $15 to $17, with beverages extra. For parties of 10 or more, the shop offers a giant wicker hamper for $15 extra. Orders for the evening should be placed in the morning. Hours: 7 A.M. to 9 P.M. Monday to Sunday.

CUCINA RUSTICA, 515 Columbus Avenue, at 84th Street, (212) 799-0316 or 799-0704. This shop offers a simple fruit-and-cheese plate for $10, an appealing antipasto of meats or vegetables for $12.50 and a sandwich or a cold plate and salad for $15. Each meal comes with a dessert and beverage. More elaborate entrees are available with menus at $25 each from Panarella's, the adjacent restaurant under the same management. The picnics come in beribboned bags or in baskets, for an extra charge. Orders should be placed by noon. Hours: Noon to 9 P.M. Monday to Friday; 10 A.M. to 9 P.M. on Saturday, and 10 A.M. to 7 P.M. on Sunday.

GRACE'S MARKETPLACE, 1237 Third Avenue, at 71st Street, (212) 737-0600. Six picnic menus are offered this summer, each with a main dish, two side dishes, bread, a nonalcoholic beverage, dessert and occasionally cheese. Prices range from $18.50 a person (for chicken salad with sun-dried tomatoes, grilled vegetables and saffron rice, a roll and chocolate cake) to $28 (for an assortment that includes poached red snapper with salsa verde). Picnics are packed in a shopping bag with a cloth tablecloth and paper napkins, candles, plates and utensils. Classic picnic baskets can be rented. The store suggests wines for each menu. Picnics require 24 hours' notice. Hours: 8 A.M. to 8:30 P.M. Monday to Saturday, and 10 A.M. to 7 P.M. on Sunday.HALE AND HEARTY, 1849 Lexington Avenue, at 64th Street, (212) 517-7600. The food at this shop, which follows the American Heart Association's guidelines on fat and cholesterol, is prepared under the supervision of a dietitian. Calorie counts can be obtained. Three picnics at $15, $20 and $25 a person, with a two-person minimum, consist of lavish sandwiches and salads or barbecued chicken, with desserts and beverages. Each meal comes with utensils and a basket that is available to borrow or, for $10, to buy. The shop rents blankets, too. A minimum of an hour's notice is required. Hours: 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. Monday to Friday and 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. on Saturday. The shop is closed on Sunday and will be closed on Saturday in July and August.

PETROSSIAN, 182 West 58th Street, (212) 245-2217. This luxury shop's idea of a princely picnic for four consists of a half-pound of smoked salmon, 125 grams of fresh Russian sevruga caviar, half a pound of goose foie gras and baguettes. The meal and utensils are packed in a sleek reusable insulated bag. The tariff is $159 complete; it is up to the customer to provide the Champagne. A day's notice is required, and delivery is available. Hours: 11 A.M. to 9 P.M. Monday to Friday, and 11 A.M to 8 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday.

WILLIAM POLL, 1051 Lexington Avenue, at 75th Street, (212) 288-0501. Among the various options at this catering shop are boxes filled with a pair of savory pinwheel sandwiches, along with a container of salad, fruit and dessert for $18. A picnic of baby chicken for $20 is a better value. Other assortments start at $7.50 for a snack pack of crudites with dip. Utensils are provided, and 24 hours' notice is required. Hours: 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. Friday to Saturday. The shop is closed on Sunday and it will also be closed on Monday and Saturday in July and August.

REMI TO GO, 145 West 53d Street in the Atrium, (212) 581-7115. Shopping-bag picnics at $15 each include a main-course cold pasta salad or a hefty sandwich on country bread or baguette, a small appetizer, green salad, dessert and nonalcoholic beverage. More elaborate menus are available and are priced accordingly. Orders should be placed by noon for late afternoon or early evening pickup or delivery. Upon request, the food will come arranged and wrapped on the shop's stylish blue-and-white-striped paper plates. Utensils and a checked cotton tablecloth are included with the picnic. Open on weekdays only. Hours: 8 A.M. to 7 P.M.

SARABETH'S KITCHEN, 424 Amsterdam Avenue, at 80th Street, (212) 496-6280, and 1295 Madison Avenue, at 92d Street, (212) 410-7335. Three sandwich menus -- grilled chicken on focaccia, grilled steak on focaccia and grilled vegetables on sourdough rolls -- or goat cheese with tomato-and-basil salad, come in a box with pastry, fruit and a nonalcoholic beverage for $15. Orders should be placed in the morning. Hours: 8 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. and 6 to 10 P.M. on weekdays, and 9 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. and 6 to 10:30 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday.

THE SILVER PALATE, 274 Columbus Avenue, at 73d Street, (212) 799-6340. Nine picnic menus priced $14.50 to $28 each come attractively packed in a festive bag with utensils and tissue or, for $12 extra, in a basket made of grapevines. The $14.50 menu includes ham, brie and arugula on a baguette with sweet grainy mustard, tri-color coleslaw, a raspberry linzer cookie, fruit and a beverage. An all-salad menu is $18.50 and an Asian salad menu is $23. Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance. Hours: 7:30 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. Monday to Friday, and 7:30 A.M. to 8:30 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday. PERFORMANCES TO DINE BY

Here is a sampling of outdoor performances conducive to picnicking in Manhattan this summer.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK, part of the New York Shakespeare Festival. Delacorte Theater, Central Park, entrance at West 81st Street. "Othello," produced by Joseph Papp, with Raul Julia as Othello and Christopher Walken as Iago, directed by Joe Dowling, tonight through July 14. "A Midsummer Night's Dream," presented in Portuguese by Teatro do Ornitorrinco of Brazil, July 30 to Aug. 11. "The Tempest" presented in Spanish by Rajatabla from Venezuela and directed by Carlos Gimenez, Aug. 27 to Sept. 8. All at 8 P.M. Information: (212) 598-7100.

"HAMLET," Central Park, Cherry Hill Fountain, entrance at Fifth Avenue and East 72d Street. Shakespeare's tragedy performed by Matinee Idyll, a street-theater company, today and next Friday at 5 P.M.; at Carl Schurz Park, East River from 84th to 90th Street, tomorrow and June 29 at 5 P.M.; at Grant's Tomb, Riverside Drive at 122d Street, Sunday and June 30 at 5 P.M. Information: (201) 867-1575.

RIVERSIDE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Riverside Drive at 89th Street. Staged reading of "Macbeth," tomorrow and Sunday, at 5 P.M. "The Taming of the Shrew" (July 20 and 21); "Much Ado About Nothing" (Aug. 10 and 11) and Aristophanes' "Lysistrata," Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 and 2. All at 5 P.M. Take your own seating. Information: (212) 369-2273.

KIMATI DINIZULU AND HIS KOTOKO SOCIETY, a program of reggae and African music, World Trade Center plaza, today at 12:15 P.M. Information: (212) 466-4235.

JVC LINCOLN CENTER JAZZ FESTIVAL, with the Arthur Blythe Quartet, the David Murray Trio, the Steve Lacy Sextet, the Donald Harrison Quintet and the Microscopic Septet at Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, Sunday from 2 to 7 P.M.

SOUNDS AT SUNSET, outdoor performances on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 P.M., on the Esplanade at Battery Park City, along the Hudson River from West Thames to Liberty Street, beginning July 9 with the singer and pianist Steve Ross. Series runs through Sept. 10. Information: (212) 416-5300.

NATIONAL CHORALE NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF AMERICAN MUSIC THEATER, concerts by the National Chorale, conducted by Martin Josman, in Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center, beginning July 9 at 7 P.M. with a presentation of music by George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and Stephen Sondheim. Runs through July 23. Information: (212) 333-5333.

SUMMERPIER, concerts at Pier 16, Fulton and South Streets, beginning on July 13 at 8 P.M. with an appearance by the National Chorale. Information: (212) 669-9400.

LINCOLN CENTER OUT OF DOORS, varied performances at the Fountain Plaza, North Plaza and Damrosch Park, beginning on Aug. 1 at 8:15 P.M. with the dance troupe Pilobolus. Runs through Aug. 26. Information: (212) 875-5400.

TRADEWINDS WORLD-MUSIC FESTIVAL, concerts at Pier 16, Fulton and South Streets, beginning on Aug. 6 at 12:30 P.M. with Kimati Dinizulu and his Kotoko Society. Runs through Aug. 15. Information: (212) 669-9400.

Source: The New York Times

"El Coronel no tiene quien le escriba" crítica de Moises Perez Coterillo, Caracas, Marzo 1990, VIII Festival Internacional de Teatro de Caracas

Pepe Tejera y Aura Rivas

Fuente: Viviana Marcela Iriart

EL CORONEL NO TIENE QUIEN LE ESCRIBA, de García Márquez y Carlos Giménez: "The New York Times dice: “Una dramática adaptación en la que los ritmos y las formas de la prosa del autor están iluminadas con precisión y economía.” / artículos de Andrés Zambrano D y Nullvalue / El Tiempo, Bogotá, 14 y 18 de mayo de 1991

 "El Coronel de cuerpo presente"

The New York Times dice: “Una dramática adaptación en la que los ritmos y las formas de la prosa del autor están iluminadas con precisión y economía.”

No fue coincidencia. El día que se estrenó la versión para teatro de El coronel no tiene quien le escriba, del grupo venezolano Rajatabla, llovió en Bogotá despacio pero sin pausas, como en Macondo. Fue el 14 de mayo. Ese martes, el Coronel salió de las páginas de los libros y encarnó en el actor José Tejera. Alto, desgarbado, de pelo cano y con acento caribeño en cada una de sus palabras. Así debe ser el coronel. Por lo menos eso se desprende de las declaraciones de Gabriel García Márquez al periódico mexicano La Jornada, el miércoles 24 de agosto de 1989, cuando le preguntaron si reconocía a sus personajes. “No los reconozco, los conozco. No los había conocido, los conocí ahora. Yo me imaginaba cómo eran, pero nunca los había visto. Ahora los vi.” 

Según cuenta Tejera, este fue uno de los momentos más importantes en la historia de Rajatabla. Al culminar la presentación, García Márquez bajó a saludar al elenco. Los espectadores que asistieron a esa función no sabían a donde mirar. Repartían su atención entre el escenario y el puesto donde estaba Gabo. Nadie deseaba perder un solo gesto de aprobación o desagrado del escritor.

Ese día también llovió, porque siempre llueve en el Macondo de Rajatabla. A veces aguacero, a veces llovizna. En el escenario, el agua golpea el marco de la puerta y la ventana de la casa donde habitan el coronel, su esposa y un gallo.

Tras esas cuatro paredes, el Coronel lleva 56 años esperando una pensión que nunca llega. Todos los viernes va a la oficina de correos a averiguar por su carta. “Esta esperanza, casi indecente, es como la de nosotros los latinoamericanos”, afirma Carlos Giménez, director del grupo.

El trabajo de Rajatabla comenzó hace dos años cuando fueron invitados a participar en el Festival de Dos Mundos, en Spoleto (Italia). Fue un honor para los teatreros de Rajatabla, primeros latinoamericanos que lograron esta distinción en los 32 años de historia del Festival.

Sin embargo, los organizadores pusieron dos condiciones. La obra tenía que ser de García Márquez y estrenada en Espoleto.

Carlos Giménez se inclinó desde el principio por El coronel no tiene quien le escriba, obra que considera la mejor del Premio Nobel colombiano.

García Márquez, al conocer el propósito del grupo, les comentó que era el menos teatral de sus escritos. Les aconsejó que intentaran con Crónica de una muerte anunciada.

Desoyeron el consejo. Giménez afirma que Cien años de soledad le dio fama a García Márquez, pero fue en El coronel no tiene quien le escriba donde hizo literatura.

El trabajo fue arduo. García Márquez leyó dos proyectos de guión antes de aceptar el tercero.

En Latinoamérica, el Grupo Circular del Uruguay tenía los derechos para teatro de la obra. Fue necesario negociar con la representante de García Márquez, Carmen Balcells, para evitar cualquier problema legal.

La obra se presentó por primera vez en el Teatro Nuovo de Espoleto, con excelentes comentarios. Según los miembros de Rajatabla la expectativa que crearon fue enorme. El Coronel se agotó en las librerías de la pequeña ciudad italiana.

La imaginación caribeña descrestó a los europeos. Un periódico italiano, impresionado por el efecto de la lluvia contra el marco de la puerta, afirmó: "Este grupo es dueño de una gran tecnología hidráulica." La realidad es bien distinta y bastante simple. El efecto se logra con dos mangueras similares a las que utilizan los bomberos. Una gota de realismo mágico pero a la inversa.

En el montaje de Rajatabla todo gira alrededor del Coronel dice Giménez. Las paredes van y vienen para darle entrada a la oficina de correos, la casa del Compadre Sabas, y la gallera, donde la esperanza se debate con la frustración. Pasado, presente y futuro son relativos, como en la teoría de Einstein. Lo único permanente es una hamaca y el coronel.

Rajatabla lleva dos años presentando la obra en todas partes del mundo. Doscientas funciones ante un público diverso y heterogéneo. La 201 fue como regresar a la primera. Esta vez los espectadores eran los compatriotas de García Márquez, los habitantes de Macondo. Los actores respiraban nerviosismo. En pleno mediodía cantaron los gallos, desubicados. La rápida rueda de prensa dio paso al ensayo general.

A los 8:30 p.m subió el telón del Teatro Nacional La Castellana. La lluvia mojó la ventana de la habitación del Coronel. Hora y media después, emocionado, el público aplaudió de pie... Por fin vieron al Coronel.

©Andrés Zambrano D.

18 de mayo de 1991

El Tiempo, Bogotá

Gracias al actor Aitor Gaviria, quien fue parte del elenco de El Coronel no tiene quien le escriba, por la foto de Gabriel García Márquez y Carlos Giménez y en México y por este link.

Fuente: El Tiempo

EL GRUPO RAJATABLA NO SE RAJA CON EL CORONEL

“No los reconozco, los conozco. No los había conocido, los conocí ahora. Yo me imaginaba cómo eran, pero nunca los había visto. Ahora los vi. De veras.” Este fue el comentario que hizo Gabriel García Márquez, en México, al terminar las presentación de El coronel no tiene quién le escriba, del grupo venezolano Rajatabla. La obra se presentará, por primera vez en Colombia, a partir de hoy en el Teatro Nacional La Castellana por una corta temporada que culminará el 24 de mayo.

La adaptación y dirección para teatro del relato de García Márquez corrió a cargo de Carlos Giménez.

La obra, que fue premiada en el Festival de dos Mundos, en Spoletto (Italia), es protagonizada por José Tejera, en el papel del Coronel, y Aura Rivas, como la mujer del Coronel. Cuenta con la participación de 14 actores. La escenografía y el vestuario son de Rafael Reyeros, la musicalización de Eduardo Bolívar y la iluminación de José Jiménez.

El montaje -según dicen los que la han visto- está cargado de elementos cinematográficos, con una escenografía de aguas permanentes, alusivas a un pueblo al que solo se llega en lancha. Entre frases no dichas, silencios elocuentes y medias luces, el Coronel espera cada viernes, junto a su mujer y su gallo, una pensión del gobierno que jamás llegará.

El Coronel no tiene quién le escriba fue estrenada hace dos años; su éxito ha llevado al grupo Rajatabla a realizar giras por Europa, Estados Unidos y América Latina.

El trabajo de Giménez y su grupo no solo ha arrancado buenos comentarios de García Márquez; la crítica internacional la califica con los mejores adjetivos. The New York Times dice: “Una dramática adaptación en la que los ritmos y las formas de la prosa del autor están iluminadas con precisión y economía.”

©Nullvalue

14 de mayo de 1991

El Tiempo, Bogotá

Fuente: El Tiempo