1 - Introduction and History

Summary

An Introduction to the Company

Part I of this book leads the reader through Els Joglars' rehearsal process. To facilitate matters, I will focus primarily on En un lugar de Manhattan (2005), although references to the company's evolution and past shows will be used for support. Focusing on this particular show provides a detailed study of the relatively overlooked aspect of rehearsal process, unlike previous studies that have sought to define the ideology of the company or comment only on the finished products. The final result of any stage play only represents a small part of the company's work in progress, and an understanding of Els Joglars' theatre needs to widen its focus to cover the company's theatrical identity.

Even the most dedicated studies are restricted to the company's recent years, and documentation of their work throughout the 1970s and 1980s can be found only in academic journals (such as Primer Acto or the now defunct El Público and Pipirijaina) or anthologies of modern theatre (for example Cabal and Alonso de Santos [1985] which features an interview with Boadella among other contemporary practitioners). Such inclusions are often either direct interviews with the company or reviews of shows, and very rarely represent an extended critical appreciation of the company. Notable exceptions include issue 21 of the journal Pipirijaina Textos which used the publication of Olympic Man Movement in March 1982 to compile a series of articles commenting on Els Joglars' twentieth anniversary by Joan Abellán, Jerónimo López Mozo and Moisés Pérez Coterillo.