IT IS NEVER THE LAST SUPPER. Theatre Group: Teatro de Chile. Created and performed by Maria Jose Parga, Angelica Vial, Claudia Yolin, Nicole Senerman and Manuela Infante. How do we represent the last supper? What or which is the last supper to begin with? How can we represent something that is itself nothing but layers of representations? “ It is dangerous to unmask images” says Baudrillard “ since they dissimulate the fact that there is nothing behind them” IT IS NEVER THE LAST SUPPER is the first part of a theatrical investigation that touches on the highly contemporary question for reality, its tendency to escape us and our ever increasing desire to make it present.
Being the first part of a larger project that will be continued in Santiago, Chile this year, IT IS NEVER THE LAST SUPPER can be well understood as a work in progress. We invite you to consider, however, that every work always is. Teatro de Chile is considered as one of the most relevant young theatre groups in Chile. Their previous productions have been highly praised by the public and the critics, in Chile and Spain. Now, motivated by director Manuela Infante´s M.A. studies in Cultural Analysis at UvA, Teatro de Chile has decided to locate this first part of its investigation in Amsterdam, hoping to initiate a longer and fruitful exchange with Dutch artists and audiences. History of the Group. The theater group Teatro de Chile, begins working professionally in 2001 in Santiago de Chile. Its initial formation consisted of actors and theatre designers from the
Theatre Department of the University of Chile. Their first play, PRAT (2002), a reinterpretation of the very popular national hero Arturo Prat, which was written by Manuela Infante and directed by Manuela Infante
and Maria Jose Parga , caused an unprecedented turmoil in the political and social spheres of the Chile, and thus captured widely the attention of the media. The show obtained the first place in the Victor Jara Festival for Playwrights and Directors (2002) and also earned its funding from the National Funds for Culture and the Arts (FONDART).
Later, and continuing with the topic of historical figures, Teatro de Chile engaged in the creation of the play JUANA (2004). This project was centered on a particular version of the story of Joan of Arc, and was also financed by FONDART. Written and Directed by Manuela Infante, this second play is applauded by the critics and audience and wins a mention of honor awarded by the Circle of Art Critics of Chile. In
addition, JUANA is selected as one of the best plays of the year for the International Festival Teatro a Mil (FITAM) that took place in Santiago, Chile. Both these plays, PRAT and JUANA, were published in 2005 by Cierto Pez Editions as part of their Collection of Contemporary Chilean Dramaturgy ( Prat seguida de Juana, Colecci贸n Dramaturgia chilena Contemporanea, 2005, Santiago, Chile.)
In 2005 Infante wrote NARCISO with the support of a grant awarded by the National Fund of the Book of Chile. This play, also directed by her, was premiered in August that same year in Santiago. NARCISO as well was awarded with the funding of FONDART. In this project the group investigated contemporary theories regarding the modern and
postmodern subject, with a new and strong accent on physical work.
With this play Manuela achieved two Altazor awards (highest national
recognition given by artists to artists), for dramaturgy and direction, in the beginning of 2006. This same year REY PLANTA, a play written by Infante and directed by Juan Pablo Peragallo, was premiered. REY LANTA was a monologue that reflected upon the notion of power and the
invisible mechanisms by which it operates in contemporary life. This piece was also regarded highly by the public and the specialized critics. NARCISO was then invited to the International Festival of Cadiz, Spain. For this the group obtained the financial support of the Direction of Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Exterior Relations of Chile. After two successful presentations at this festival the group toured around Spain presenting the piece in: Teatro de los Manantiales in Valencia, Festival Universitario de Le贸n, Sala Alcal谩 in Madrid and Ambig煤 in Valladolid. This took place in October 2006. During this tour NARCISO was officially
invited to many festivals, one of such is the Theatre StageFest of New York, which will take place in April 2007.