Despite the political and social heat Venezuela has been through during the last years, theatre remains one of the few channels of expression with freedom of speech. Although the most important companies in the Country lost government subsidies with the arrival of the so-called “21st century socialism” fifteen years ago, theatre-makers have reinvented their way of working to become self-sustainable and politically un-compromised with the government agenda.
With the increase in crime, street violence, kidnappings and protests in the Country’s biggest cities, theatre has also started to suffer. During the 2012–2014 season it was not unusual for audiences to be unable to reach theatres because of confrontations between students and government security forces. These confrontations resulted in hundred of unsolved cases of violence, including dead, injured, imprisoned, and mysteriously disappeared students.
reviews four major productions presented during this period in Venezuela, all by independent companies, all fundamental and sensitive to the reality we live in.
- Juan Souki
* 18.12.1980
Specialization: director, author, theatre director, teacher, media artist
Education: MFA in stage direction, Columbia University, New York
Collaboration with theatres: Cultura Chacao, Trasnocho Cultural, Teatrex, Teatro Nacional de Colombia.
Teaching activities: Imaginarios
Awards: Southern Exposure, Shubert Fellow.
Additional information: Founder and Director of Imaginarios, an artist run creative studio in Caracas Venezuela. Souki is known for directing theatre, multimedia, concerts and experiential projects. His work can be seen at Imaginarios.com
- Lucrecia Briceño (Lucrecia Briceno)
Peru
Specialization: lighting designer
Education: NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Teaching activities: NYU, Princeton University, Hunter College and the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Continuing collaboration with directors: Juan Souki, Will Davis.
Additional information: Peruvian artist currently based in NYC. Her work includes theatre, dance, puppetry & opera, mostly in association with artists developing innovative and unique pieces. Has designed over twenty productions in North America, South America and Europe.
- Jian Jung
Korea
Specialization: architect, teacher, set designer, costume designer
Education: NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Ewha Women’s University in Korea.
Collaboration with theatres: Classic Stage Company, Living Theatre, INTAR, Incubator Arts Project, Columbia University, The New School.
Teaching activities: Stony Brook University, New York.
Continuing collaboration with directors: Isabel Milenski, Javierantonio Gonzalez, Juan Souki, Pavol Liska.
Awards: 2015 Bel Geddes Design Enhancement Award
Additional information: New York based set and costume designer for theatre and opera. Her productions, ranging from classic masterpieces to new plays by emerging artists, have been acclaimed as 'innovative', 'inventive', 'genius' and 'spectacular' by the major press. www.jianjung.
- Luis Fernandez
Venezuela
Specialization: architect, director, actor, author, producer, theatre director, set designer
Education: Universidad Simon Bolivar. Harvard School of Design.
Collaboration with theatres: BOD Corp Banca, Teatro Trasnocho.
Additional information: Theatre, film and TV actor. Stage director, architect and designer. His work has been presented in Venezuela, USA, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. One of Venezuela's best-selling authors and editors of the magazine Sexo Sentido. www.luisfernandez.net
- Freddy Mendoza
Caracas
Specialization: set designer, costume designer, fashion designer
Education: IUDET, UNEARTES.
Collaboration with theatres: Teresa Carreño, Teatro Municipal de Chacao.
Teaching activities: Director. Pasarela con esencia institute.
Continuing collaboration with directors: Carmen La Roche, Orlando Arocha, Albi de Abreu, Juan Souki, Ricardo Nortier.
Additional information: Art director for film. Set designer and Costume designer for theatre. Has worked with different groups and companies for over 20 years in Venezuela. Credits include plays, features and Operas alike. He is director of the Pasarela con Esencia institute.
- Neilyn Halmoguera
* 1989, Caracas
Specialization: architect, set designer
Education: Universidad Simon Bolivar.
Additional information: Worked in the VCA Architecture Office at the “Center for Teacher's Education in Music” project in Caracas and in the Ephemeral Architecture Office La Embajada Tropical in Barcelona, Spain in stage design and exposure projects.
- Alejandro Armas Vidal
* 1974, Caracas
Specialization: painter , media artist, Art director, video designer, illustrator.
Continuing collaboration with directors: Juan Souki
Additional information: Art Director, Illustrator and Designer using techniques such as collage, drawing, aquarelle, engraving and lithography. Has worked for several design and animation studios, and tv studios such as HBO, Cinemax, Sony Entertainment Television and Discovery.
- Jessica Aharonov
* 1989, Caracas
Specialization: Graphic Designer
Education: Jose Maria Vargas University
Additional information: Her research is focused on the psychology behind typography and the correct use and interpretation of typefaces in different graphic pieces. She has worked for Museo de la Estampa y del Diseño Carlos CruzDiez y Diario El Universal.
- Hector Manrique
Caracas
Specialization: director, actor, producer, theatre director, teacher, set designer
Collaboration with theatres: Grupo Actoral 80, Teatro Trasnocho, Centro Cultural Chacao.
Teaching activities: Grupo Actoral 80
Additional information: Actor and director. Artistic Director of Grupo Actoral 80, former director of Venezuela's Compania Nacional de Teatro. Set designer for some of his works. Known on the Venezuelan theatre scene for directing both local and international plays.
- Ernesto Pinto
Caracas
Specialization: lighting designer
Teaching activities: Centro Cultural Chacao
Additional information: Venezuelan lighting designer with over twenty years of experience in theatre, opera, concerts and events. Has worked with international artists such as Franco de Vita, Voz Veis and Huascar Barradas.
- Luz Urdaneta
* 1959, Maracaibo
Education: London School of Contemporary Dance.
Collaboration with theatres: Teatro Teresa Carreño, Uneartes, Centro Cultural Chacao.
Teaching activities: Uneartes, Danzahoy.
Continuing collaboration with directors: Jacques Broquet.
Additional information: Venezuelan dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director of Danzahoy. For Danzahoy she has choreographed over twenty original works touring Venezuela, Latin America, North America and Europe.
- Jose Jimenez
Caracas
Specialization: lighting designer
Collaboration with theatres: BOD Corp Banca, Teatro Trasnocho.
Teaching activities: UNEARTES.
Continuing collaboration with directors: Luis Fernandez, Héctor Manrique.
Additional information: Venezuelan lighting designer with over twenty years of experience in theatre, opera, and live event design.
- Carolina Puig
Specialization: producer, lighting designer, Technical Director
Additional information: Former Production Manager for Teatro Teresa Carreno, Technical Director for Ateneo de Caracas and Technical Director for Danzahoy. Her Lighting Design work ranges from theatre to opera, dance, concerts and live events.
