With a little help from my friends # 13

My Dear,

“I think we failed miserably at framing ‘El Infierno...’. I think most of the time it was not really clear for the spectators what they were facing, what was expected. Maybe we should have grabbed them by the shoulders and told them what the nature of the game was. Though, it was in front of their eyes, perhaps they thought it was ‘just’ representation.
However, as harsh as the criticism was, I can’t but stop and wonder. We took a space meant for ‘experimental theatre’ at the national university, and we used it. We posed the questions and tried to get the questions out of the bodies: both ours and the spectators, that is. What was the purpose of all it? Why do it? Is it a lost battle?
For 10 weeks (unusual for so-called ‘experimental theatre’), we had a full house. The cabaret next door was not even near our numbers (but our theatre was much smaller, that is true). Why did people want to see such an ugly and –at times- brutal play?
The University did exit polls (or were they entry polls?) at the plays. Surprise, surprise. Our public was different. “The most weird people come to see your play”-they said. “You have engineers, doctors, all of those who normally don’t come here”.
These all leaves me a bit perplex still. What was the force drawing all these people together?

What is the nature of our work?”[13]

Love,

Diego

[13] Diego Alejandro de la Vega Wood, trying to theorise on “El Infierno...”. 2009