Cuba Reimagines a Spiritual Encounter Between Cervantes and Shakespeare
Miguel Will is the title of the play that premiered as a work in progress on October 10 at the Antiguos Almacenes de Depósito San José, located at Avenida del Puerto and Cuba, in the Historic Center of Havana.
Based on a text by playwright José Carlos Somoza, and adapted and directed by Pepe García and Osvaldo Doimeadiós, the Comunidad Creativa Nave Oficio de Isla takes on the challenge of recreating a spiritual encounter between Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare.
According to the premise, in the final years of his life, Shakespeare—alongside the actors of Teatro El Globo—is deeply absorbed in staging the play Cardenio, inspired by a passage from Cervantes’ novel El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha.
The internal struggles faced by the character as he tries to help his fellow actors, the audience, and the court censors understand the jester/noble duality of the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance ultimately give rise to a narrative exploring the genesis of theatrical craft—its ongoing dialogue with power and the social context of every age.
As stated on its Facebook page, Nave Oficio de Isla notes that the play “is not a historicist recreation through costumes and scenery, but rather enriches itself with these elements to reflect on our own reality from new perspectives.”
The stage concept draws inspiration from the dynamics of medieval and Renaissance fairs, incorporating elements from Teatro Isabelino and Teatro del Siglo de Oro Español.
Performative moments inspired by other works of Shakespeare and portions of Cervantes’s theatrical production also encourage reflection on the current state of Cuban theater, as well as the paths and challenges faced by those dedicated to the stage.
The production is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the National Council of Performing Arts, the Office of the Historian of Havana, Gestión del Patrimonio, the Provincial Culture Authority of Havana, Almacenes San José, and Telas y Sedería IGM.
The premiere of this work in progress, Miguel Will, coincided with the sixth anniversary of Nave Oficio de Isla, as well as with cultural celebrations for Spain’s National Day, for which the Cultural Office of the Spanish Embassy in Cuba included the performance in its official program.
New showings have already been announced for the coming weekends. According to the creators, this new proposal aligns with their creative philosophy, in which theater maintains a direct and evident relationship with music, dance, performance, and installation art.
The images come from rehearsal sessions prior to the public presentation of Miguel Will. Photos: Courtesy of Nave Oficio de Isla (Instagram).
Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez
