Yorch Place

Yesterday was teh Benny Ibarra concert at the State Auditorium Josefa Ortíz de Dominguez, it was good full, not crowded but full and a very good audience.

So here are the next concerts in the city:


August 30th - Pablo Milanes Bohemian night with wine in the hotel "Misión Juriquilla"


September 6th - Belanova: Fantasia Pop, a pop band very popular in the spanish speaking world, in the state Auditorium "Josefa Ortíz de Dominguez"


September 19th - Scorpions: Electro Acoustic World Tour, the famous german band in the Bullring "Plaza de Toros Santa María"


October 17th - Zoe & Kinky, the most popular band in Mexico in this days, in the bullring "Plaza de Toros Santa María"


October 24th - Intocables, the most popular band of mexican music (banda) at the Football (soccer) stadium "Corregidora"

Theater.

11 y 12 the play from Chespirito.
September 20th in the state auditorium "Joséfa Ortíz de Domínguez"

Something to do in the city

In downtown Queretaro there is the International Alternative Theater Festival, a tradition in the city to present "alternative" forms of art in the form of plays, could be short or long.

Although alternative theater can be considered by many "non-understandable" I think is like painting, what you understand, what it makes you feel that is correct, no matter what feeling it cause.

I saw a small play of a colombian couple and a monologue of a mexican girl.

A lot of people where present, which gave me hope, that art is blossoming in the city.

I'm not an art or theater critic, but still I'm going to post my thoughts of a play I went to see last saturday.

This play wasn't advertise anywhere in the public Billboards or any magazine, I got invited by Facebook.

The name of the play "Alquiler" a musical, based in a more famous musical from brodway, they did the translation and the adaptation of the script, removing some parts, adding others, but basically is the same play.

First the place, the play was performed in a place called "El Taller" which is new to me, it is located near some fancy restaurant, and exactly next to an not so nice bar, at simple sight it looks like an old bad looking house, which it was sometime ago. They adapted the backyard to be the stage and put some seats, which are a little dangerous because they used old wood from some werehouse.

The performance, this actors are people) from college, they formed part of the drama club, since highschool, and studied something that didn't fill them, since here in Mexico to say "I'm going to be an artist" is like saying "I'm not going to work" there is some social pressuer to study a degree in some engineer. But this people like to perform, and being amateur they organized and did this, considering this are not profesionals but in route to, the play was really good in many aspects with minor problems, loosing some marks, and times, but in general was ok, some small mistakes with parts of the stage like a falling phone, and the guitar of which everybody kicked.

The better actors, that is hard, but in general they all where good, they didn't forget any line, and sang all the songs, not using playback at all with good tone and rythm. It was funny and sad at the correct moments. Some actrees sang well but she didn't project her voice, it was hard to hear her, even in a 40 people theater!

Recomended, Yes totally, don't forget that this people had other jobs, and this could be considered a community theater project, but they want to build a career of it, and they got the path, if projects like this one continue to surge, the art community will be more appreciate and people will no longer be afraid to claim "I want to be an artist", plus the play is good and you will get a great time.

Don't be afraid of the "place" or theater, is not the traditional theatre, neither a "corral de comedias" (old colonial theaters) but a begining of something good.

"Alquiler"
Theater: El taller
Adress: Ejercito Republicano #58, Centro, frente a mirador de los Arcos.
Admitance: $60.00 pesos or $5.5 usd.

Theater tradition in Queretaro is very old, the city was founded in the time of the begining of the theater "Golden Era" in Spain, in the XVI century (16th in Spanish it is forced to use roman numerals for centuries).

In 1531 the city of Santiago de Queretaro was founded, thanks to it's location the city grew very fast a became the third city of the kingdom (the viceroyalty was considered a kingdom), an honor provided by the Queen of Spain. Many spaniards and indians became rich in short time, and with money the city started to be pretty, many gardens and plazas where built and the theater bloosomed.


Colonial coutyard that can be used as theater.

In that time the theater took place in the courtyards of the houses, and those where called "Corral de Comedias" (comedy corral) later some buildings where built specialy to serve as theaters and look a lot like the Elizabeth Theater in England (Shakespeare time) the stage at the end next to a wall, in the middle the general public and on the sides the rich audience.


Spanish "Corral de Comedias" (medieval theater)

Right now in Queretaro we have several theatres, most of them still has the "Corral de Comedias" style, this are medieval theaters in the XXI century (21st), this can have up to 100 people seated, and many of this offer cheese, wine and bread, just like in the medieval times. The plays are very diverse, contemporary plays and classic ones, like does of Cervantes (Don Quijote de la Mancha) or Shakespeare.

The most popular theater in Queretaro is actually named "Corral de Comedias" is the oldest and it has all the feeling of the medieval times.

Also in the public plazas and gardens it is a tradition in Queretaro to have shows and plays, some sponsored by the goverment, some private, and in Queretaro there is an international Abstract Theater Festival every year, and the stages are all the plazas and courtyards, in this festival the entrance is free to many of the plays.

Here a list of some of the theaters of the city:

- Corral de Comedias (Comedy Corral)
- Comicos de la Legua (Comics of the League)
- Teatrito La Carcajada (The laugher)
- Sol y Luna (Sun and Moon)
- Teatro del IMSS (IMSS theater)
- Teatro la Casona del Arbol (the big house of the tree)
- Teatro de la Republica (Republic Theater)
- Patio Barroco (Barroque Courtyard)
- La Cartelera (The Billboard)
- Teatro Rafael Camacho Guzman (Rafael Camacho G. Theater)
- Auditorio Josefa Ortíz de Dominguez (Josefa O. de Domiguez Auditorium)
- Teatro Metropolitano (Metropolitan Theater, is under construction right now)
- La Vieja Estación (Old Train Station)
- Jardín del Arte (Garden of Art)
- Teatro del Museo de la Ciudad (City Museum Theater)

This are some I can recall, and you must count all the plazas, and churches as possible places to be used as theaters.

To see the theater schedule in Queretaro.


Public play in the garden of the little dogs (State Goverment Plaza)

Do you remember FRIENDS!, the most amazing sitcom show ever, with Chandler, Joey, Monica, etc. In several episodes we watch Joey performing in a small Broadway theater several weird plays... well I think every town has his own Joey and the small theaters, little more than a week ago I went to "El Teatrito" a small theater in Queretaro, translated means "Little Theater", and it is, at much it can provide seats for 25 people, the play was a weird play named "Si te quiero pero me estorbas", translated is "I love you but you hinder me" It was about witchcraft, politics, immigration and native mexicans... It is a comedy, I laughed... but is not a great play, neither great actors... But it was affordable, $10.00usd to see them, and the lobby of the theater, which measures at most 4x2 metres was really pretty, and they offer great coffe and sandwiches.

Theater activity in Queretaro is abundant, but many of it kind of amateur, college theater, and weird artistic theater (the kind of theater nobody understand but pretend to, to look really savy)