A son of an Andalusian and a Catalan, he discussed each day the quality of the third batch. Is it better than the first? What can be done to improve it? His father was an expert in his field and had a workshop. “It is not enough to learn at school. I know that the most important thing is taught in the home. I was taught the importance of hard work and perseverance by my parents. There is always something to learn. Lluis Pasqual, stage director (Reuss, 1951), will be collecting the Corral de Comedias award, which is presented by the Almagro International Classical Theater Festival. This prize is the start signal for the famous contest dedicated to Siglo de Oro. Pasqual’s contribution to Spanish classical theatre is not being recognized. Instead, the festival director Ignacio Garcia praised Pasqual for “his role in transforming scenic languages and for the bridge that he has created between cultural heritage, culture, and the contemporary and avantgarde look”.
These are very solemn words that make one sigh. Pasqual has not allowed himself to be a gilded pill for too long. Pasqual has been performing on the stage for over 50 years and seems to have reservations about remuneration. He is grateful for the honors, but does not live off the rents.
I continue to work, with many illusions. It is dizzying to look back but I always think about the future and the present. He has confirmed three ambitious projects, including two operas, and a play. Although he cannot provide more details, the tone of his voice is enthusiastic. After the allegations of abuse against Andrea Ros (allegedly during rehearsals), he has lost the bitterness and setbacks that drove him to quit the Teatre Lliure’s direction in 2018. The social media campaign asking for his head gained tsunami dimensions despite the support from more than 300 colleagues including Nuria Espert, Carmen Machi, Juan Echanove and Antonio Banderas. He suffered headaches from the controversy, and more if he weren’t homosexual. TV3 was attempting to make him look like Harvey Weinstein. He says that he doesn’t need to worry about it anymore.
He doesn’t think it would be better for him to stay in France or Italy. In France, he was the director of Odeon Theater and artistic director at the Venice Biennale. He uses the famous proverb, “Beans can be cooked anywhere.” He is now enjoying a time of serenity after his tenure as the Soho theatre’s head, in Malaga. This is the attitude that Machado spoke of as my vitality. This should be inscribed on your bathroom mirror
He would give one piece of advice if he could travel back in history and find the hippie he used to be, at 20 years old, with anxiety that didn’t fit in his chest. It’s better to be relaxed, and not waste energy, and keep your eyes on the end goal. He doesn’t dream of the impossible, but his passion for opera, theater and zarzuela is still there. You have to be able to place yourself. For the VAT on books to be reduced in this country, there must have been a pandemic of Biblical proportions. The porn version ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ was more valuable than the Brothers Grimm tale I bought for my great niece! Curious, curious.” He also acknowledged that he is living a “privileged moment”. The long confinement and tragedy of covid have made the live experience of the show live and more valuable. The theater is the only place where people can be silent and listen to one another’s thoughts in a space of respect and reflection. This is a great thing. Theater is a great way to see the complexity of life. This has been the case since forever! You can think of Antigone or Creon, who are in opposing but valid positions. Or Othello who is a murderer for killing Desdemona but who also delivers the most beautiful love monologues in Shakespearean literature.
Pasqual is an experienced man who loves to delve into the motivations and feelings of women and men. He is a stage director who plunges headfirst into the darkest and most sinister parts of the human soul. He is clear in his life: “In the final, the most important thing is good people.”