<<The function is tremendously fun, it has been a success wherever it has gone>>

The 45th El Ejido Theater Festival is about to end its longest run. In this fifth week, the cultural event par excellence in the municipality and province of Almeria will be paying homage once again. The City Council of El Ejido will award an honor seat to Ron Lala for his contributions to theater. Just before they take to the stage, the City Council of El Ejido will award an Honor Seat to the Ron Lala company for his career and contribution to the world of theater. Tickets are still available for the play "Andanzas de Juan Rana". This work has been on the road for over two-and-a half years and is still going strong wherever it stops. It was performed by Inigo Elchevarria and Daniel Rovalher as well as Miguel Magdalena and Fran Garcia, who we spoke at IDEAL.

What will the public think about this work?

-Well, I must say that El Ejido has been a long time since we last visited it. So, we are very excited to be back with these 'Andanzas y hors d’oeuvres by Juan Rana.

They will discover the essence of Ronlalo language. This mix of theatre and live music is a mixture of humor, rhythm, energy, and humour. This is how we see the classics, and try to create versions that are respectful of the past, while still being relevant to the present. This show focuses on Juan Rana, a real character.

Juan Rana was who?

It is the artistic pseudonym for Cosme Perez who was an actor in the Golden Age and possibly the first person to be famous for his acting skills. People were squealing with laughter when he stepped on the stage. People began to go to him to see how well-known he was. His specialty was in hors-d'oeuvres. These were short theatrical pieces that are the Baroque classics. One could even say they were the grandfathers of modern sketches. His success was so great that many of the great writers of the time, such as Calderon de la Barca and Luis Quinones de Benavente, or Jeronimo de cancer wrote Entremeses specifically for him and with him in character. We have saved the legacy of Entremeses among which Juan Rana is one of the characters.

-But, what we will see today is a piece of that Entremeses but fused with part of a play...

We have made a selection Entremeses and studied how to place them on stage using our code, our language, and live music. Alvaro decided to bring Juan Rana before the Inquisition because he was irreverent and making people laugh. The public is only privy to the evidence presented at the trial.

Is it a Juan Rana trial or a comedy, ridicule, and irony?

It's all that, and it's also a test of our own self-worth. We tried to draw a parallel between the post-truth society we live in and where we all have become censors about ourselves. All this reflection is also there.

It is a judgment that is repeated in our time...

-Totally. This is what we wanted to reflect on, as we used other methods in the Inquisition, but the judgement was made externally from the authority below. The world we have created, with all its benefits, has also made us judges of our own self, especially through social networks.

Hence, the song they are making is about freedom of expression.

They are, of course, things that are completely united. One of the most striking characteristics of Cosme Perez was his ability to be a man, despite the difficulties of his time. He was ahead of his time because he was free. Rumours also suggested that he was gay. He was able to cast all the ballots that were necessary for him to be demonized. He carried it with great dignity, and paraded it around on the stages. He was so successful, he performed at the Court for King Philip IV.

- Juan Rana: Why do we pay tribute at this time?

This was before the pandemic and before the world became what it is today. It was interesting to us. We made a third proposal for co-production with the Compania Nacional. Prior to that, we had done En un Lugar del Quijote and Cervantina. We had reached an agreement with Helena Pimenta to complete her cycle and do a third piece. There were many options, but Juan Rana's proposal was the one that we liked the best. Juan Rana is someone we have been following for many years.

-Have your been represented before?

When Ron Lala was just starting to walk, we served some of his friends, including Ron Lala, appetizers from Juan Rana at the Complutense University of Madrid's Faculty of Philology. We are discussing the year 2000, so we have a similar idea but with less experience and fewer tools. We loved the idea of Juan Rana being re-created professionally. We also liked the reflections on laughter and censorship. It was also a great way to save an important character in our classical theater tradition that isn't so well-known. It is all about the fact that everyone can enjoy it regardless of their training in classical theatre or not, and no matter if you've heard of Juan Rana.

- A show where laughter is guaranteed

We hope so. It is true that the show has much to learn. It was premiered at Teatro de la Comedia in 2020 just before the pandemic. We were then stopped as everyone else. However, we were fortunate that we began touring again during that summer and haven't stopped since. After completing a season at Teatro de la Abadia for Christmas, we moved on to the new show 'Villa y Marte,' which is what we are currently doing. There is always a moment when both functions can be combined. Juan Rana has only one stretch of the route to go, and El Ejido still has one last chance to witness this spectacle.

-Before the show, they are given an Honor Seat.

It is an honor and a great feeling. These recognitions are very motivating and confirm that we are doing a good job. This recognition is something you have already with the public's response and being able live from it. A company that we are in principle friends with, that comes from below, and that has not had more support than our jobs. . This is why recognitions are so exciting.

Neben Künstlern wie Josep Maria Pou oder Albert Boadella,...

It was an honor to be able to say that, right alongside the greats. Boadella was also a pivotal figure in our development. He opened Teatro del Canal 10 years ago for us. This was a huge qualitative leap for us and he has always been very kind to us. We are thrilled Pou gave us Max our first Max. Stories that weave together...

-A message for the public

They come to see us because they know they will have a great time. It is a great show. It has been around for over two and a quarter years and has always been a huge success everywhere it has been. They will have a great time, so let them come.