Not many words are needed, or even phrases, to tell a love story. Sometimes gesture, music, shapes and colors are enough. And a diaphanous dramaturgy, which recreates universal feelings and stirs adventures. If it’s done with good taste, if there’s a clear lyrical calling, if it trusts in the always renewing role of beauty... the result is a beautiful, inspiring show, ideal for all ages. Like Carnival, the production that Teatro de las Estaciones has presented at the Havana Theater Festival.

Four characters from the famous Commedia dell’arte—Columbine, Pierrot, Harlequín and Don Pantalon—stars in this “Fantasy of love for actors and figures in times of loneliness,” which honors the poetics of a company that, without outdated didacticisms, has opened doors to knowledge from the playful work.

The designs of the master Zenén Calero are not adjectives in this proposal. They never are, in fact; but in Carnival, based on the strong symbolism of the references, they become handles and motives for action.

Rubén Darío Salazar, director and writer, has developed a simple plot line, which guarantees a first level of interpretation. Love triumphs over ambition and selfishness. But here there are other references that complete the work: the themes of the soundtrack, for example, open up a spectrum of cultural implications, which a more learned audience will be able to tell apart.

Although here, more than from wisdom, we speak from sensitivity.

The characters and their actors, led by Rubén himself, embody a universal spirit, which highlights timeless values. And yet, they are also identifiable marks of the here and now. There’s full stylistic mastery, essentiality and functionality in the technique. Teatro de las Estaciones once again makes us feel excited with its poetry of the stage.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff