FOUR STARS
Good news! Finally, our prayers were heard and the Presidente Alvear TheaterAfter almost a decade of being
closed, reopened its doors to be reopened with Edmondthe work written and directed by French Alexis Michalik. It would have been ideal for him to do it with a piece by a national author, directed by someone from here, but as the
saying: “A gift horse…”. So, let’s not be impolite and let’s recognize that this room was recovered, inaugurated in 1942 with the play “Eclipse de sol” by Enrique García Belloso from Rosario, founded by Pascual Carcavallo, respected businessman and great promoter of Argentine theater.
Originally released in 2016, in Paris, the proposal conquered five Molière prizes and moved to the cinema under the name of “Letters to Roxane”, signed by the same creator. Michalik has something in common with Edmond Rostand (1868-1918), the author of “cyrano de bergerac” who stars in his story. Both of them, overnight, became successful, since one of his initial works, “Le Porteur d’histoire”spent eight years on the bill.
Regarding the plot, Michalik himself confessed that he had the idea when he saw the film “Passionate Shakespeare” and, later, he recalled the adventures that took place around the writing of “Cyrano”, that famous piece about the poet with a prominent nose, a contemporary of Molière, and quite a frustrated lover.
The action takes place in 1897, when the playwright Edmond (Felipe Colombo), married with two children to support, seems to have lost his inspiration and has not written anything for two years. On the verge of despair, the diva
Sarah Bernhardt (Gaby Ferrero), introduces him to the famous actor Coquelin (Miguel Ángel Rodríguez) to whom he offers a heroic comedy in verse. Thus, avoiding the whims of the actresses, the demands of the Italian producers, the jealousy of his wife and the love affairs of his friend Léo (Nacho Pérez Cortés), she writes a text based on the adventures of the real character.
Michalik’s agile staging shows how that creative process unfolds, vaudeville-style, with doors opening and closing, junk appearing on stage, and performances nearly overflowing. The result produces a pleasant
A feeling that, in these gloomy times that we have to live in, is greatly appreciated.
Admirable Colombo (almost omnipresent on stage) and Rodríguez, in a duo that imitates the great comedians of yesteryear, and no less remarkable, due to the multiplicity of characters they have to interpret, the interventions of Luis
Longhi, Abián Vainstein and Federico Lehmann.
