Carlos Diaz (born 1957) is a
Cuban
Cuban may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean
* Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent
** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof
* Cuban citizen, a perso ...
theatre director. Diaz studied
dramaturgy and theatre at
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. 's Superior Institute of Art (ISA). He started his career as a theatre and art critic and only later took on the role of director. His work is often described as unique.
History
After founding a theatre company called
Teatro El Publico in 1992, Diaz's first production billed "North American Theatre Trilogy" featured two plays by
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...
(''The Glass Menagerie'' and ''A Streetcar Named Desire''), and one play by Robert Anderson (''Tea and Sympathy''). His company, which operates out of
Trianon Theatre on
Calle Linea, has premiered over 40 plays in the last 15 years and has become a Havana institution.
His work also includes the short stories "The Wolf", "The Forest and the New Man", and "Strawberry and Chocolate" of Cuban writer
Senel Paz, which Diaz developed into plays, emphasizing the sensuality, expressiveness, and Cuban-ness of the stories. The play was then adapted into a film in 1994, starring the same actor
Vladimir Cruz.
As for plays not written by Cubans, Carlos Diaz tries to work with material that has a certain connection to Cuba. In 1985, at the
Ensayo Theatre, and again in 2007 at the El Publico Theatre, Diaz directed the
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and lit ...
play ''
The Respectful Prostitute''; Sartre was an early and enthusiastic supporter of the Cuban revolution. The production also offered Cuban rum to audience members, and invited them to dance on stage in a conga line at the end of the play. Diaz also directed
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...
's play ''The Audience'' which Lorca began working on in Cuba in 1929. Its opening in Havana in 1994 caused a scandal as it portrayed the theme of homosexuality. Diaz chose to perform the controversial play a second time in 1996 and then again in 1998.
Despite its Cuban emphasis, El Publico has found success during its trips to
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
(1994),
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
(1997),
Colombia (1998), and
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
(2000). It has also toured throughout Cuba and it's currently performing in a temporary location at theatre
Adolofo Llayrado Theater on Calle 11, while its usual theatre El Publico is renovated.
External links
Video interview of Carlos Diaz the cuban theater Director on Havana Cultura* http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2007/06/26/4078/passion_pardon_fill_havana_stage.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20090529062502/http://www.cubaabsolutely.com/art/teatro.htm
* http://www.cubanow.net/pages/loader.php?sec=12&t=2&item=3715
* https://web.archive.org/web/20090209002543/http://fundarte.us/page.aspx?pageid=3048
* http://www.cubaheadlines.com/relationships_and_circumstances.html
* http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs909.html
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Carlos
Living people
1957 births
Cuban theatre directors