Watch out for the dog

Someone they talk aboutDog symposium Cervante sarcastically touched on the fact that the dog was considered an intelligent animal, “so much so that we are often drawn as a symbol of friendship.” Likewise Voltaire in his book Philosophical dictionaryHe talked about this animal as man's best friend. a dog, Louisa Connelly He explores the human condition of the animal he most closely resembles: more tamed, suffering, exploited and manipulated. But the two guardians – Cerberus and Ortrus – who give the title to the two versions of this work are unlikely to be considered docile; Mythical and brutal, they guard the thresholds of the underworld and not-so-excessive geographies.

Albert arrives, a theatrical virtuoso with a great ability – or incorruptible determination – to take artistic risks, tackles Connelly's text boldly and with great success. He actually did it, brilliantly, with the gardenWhere the difficult match between intimate underwear and social cover-up was introduced, and now returns, in Glyva Theater, with a millimeter-oriented presentation and two excellent explanations. I must say that very soon we will be able to enjoy again the happy and special association between author and director, when it is released on the contrary! To the atrium room.

Retired teacher –Albert Perez– A young man without trade or profit –Albert Pratt– They are in the first's house, after a dog dragged the other there. The precise and sharp interpretation is topped by the “invasive and frightening” look of two men scrutinizing each other for a long time, measuring and studying each other deeply, with a desire to penetrate both the mystery – the vulnerability -. On the other hand. The chair that separates them, on the rectangle of the carpeted island, does not seem like an invitation to stay so much as a reminder that it is not advisable to relax. Submissive/repressive morality and display/vindictive attitudes follow; The position of dominance is not fixed but fluctuates. Neither is unaffected, nor is the other uncritically complacent. The dog, shown through the scene's additional barking sound, will then have his moment of glory.

The second part or variation is titled “Orthós,” a mythical name from the Greek adjective meaning upright or correct; Oddly enough, Connelly does not take the etymological form meaning “sunset”, although the character taken by Pratt – which is not quite the same as in the first part – says that he waited impatiently for the moment when the sun would set so he could rest from the beatings and fatigue . The man played by Perez listens to him submissive and submissive, disarmed, not wanting to miss a single detail. His gaze forwards or bounces back to the other actor, making us follow with double the intensity of the extraordinary performance and the rawness of the ecstatic story.

Without any trace of the resentment shown by his initial personality, Pratt adopts a poignant and conciliatory attitude, becoming sympathetic even to his former and future abusers – somewhat like his young protagonistIceland, a show in which this wonderful actor also participated. Outside the networked bastion of the property, its composition is equally precise, but more stylized, given the apparent spontaneity with which it develops, given to a kind of dance and, above all, to a first-person adventure story that will climb. Further towards the hope at the end of the rope – to tie up dogs or hostages – the actor waves the microphone that he will not let go and that takes him a few steps into the performance – sound space Lucas Ariel Vallejos-; The fact that he collects and saves the telegram at the end of his strange, hypnotic story seems to thematize the question of speech—expression—and point to the theatrical performance itself.

After talking about it in the post-concert seminar with Albert Arribas, it became clear to me that it is more than the double-edged revenge/atonement that dominated, for example, Basement By Josep Maria Benet and Jornet, What Moves the Two Mendog It's a desperate need for recognition, as well as a buried artistic impulse that has to do with what makes us human and what a predatory system robs us of. As it actually happened in the gardenThe characters move between mistrust, more apparent vulnerability, and incomplete revelation.

The direction of Arribas, one of the best people to have read Connelly's world, connects the two registers of the text – the two differences – by playing with the costumes – responsible for the basics. Sylvia Delagno– And some of the things that Pratt deposits in space as an object Souvenirs Vitality, pledges, offers or simply the burden to be left behind. In this troubling dialectic of submission and dominance – leash and tie, dog and owner, slave and master – it is not so much who wins as the mutual and final recognition of the competitors, who exchange gifts, stories, roles and clothes in trade. Such is the life of man, both of them, and the life of a dog. Like all of us, after all. Because… who can guarantee that he won't end up tied under the balcony or left out in the open? Who among us hasn't been pushed to run away at some point, never looking back? Who among us hasn't listened to find out which outlet suits them best, or tried to gain weight for someone? Watch out for the dog. Beware of the dog, lest we see ourselves reflected in it.