The stage director of the proposal, Marc Chornet, contacted me to be in charge of the scenic space for the newly created theatrical project "September". My job involved developing a scenographic proposal in three different spaces in the city of Tarragona, where I had to carefully select the right urban space and create three striking scenographies for "September". However, after some consideration, I decided to forget the idea of three outdoor spaces and proposed that it would take place inside the old bullring converted into a space for events and shows. The main objective was to bring the character of Tecla, patron saint of the city, to the present, turning her into a universal, transversal and inclusive character to highlight common values and reach a diverse and wide audience.
I designed a scenic space with two major conceptual areas: the space in which the action should take place, within a large circle, and the metaphysical world, represented by a large back wall of more than fourteen meters high with a certain transparency that, with a large central door, communicated the real action that the characters would develop on stage with the dream space, the space of memory.
This wall offered a striking and captivating visual experience for the spectator, reconciling the imposing space of the bullring with the human dimension of the dramatic and intimate action of the stage. Large-format projections brought the audience closer to the details of the action in real time. The presence of the central door -connecting both worlds- generated a dramatic expectation in the staging, enriching the spectator's experience.
The private spaces of three of the protagonists were located within the large circle, formed by three large mobile platforms that moved around the stage, creating different environments to narrate the four stories of the same character. Santa Tecla - thanks to the dramaturgy of Iago Blasi - unfolded into four women with different profiles, offering the audience the complexity of the character's values that the play sought to communicate.
The orchestra also had its place in the scenic space, in the role of grand mistress of ceremonies, it was located outside the circle as a scenic counterpoint presiding over the action.
Promoter institution: Tarragona City Council
Location: Tarraco Arena, Tarragona (Spain)
© Photographs: Pep Escoda
© Sketch: Ignasi Cristià
