New Projects Featuring the National Theater will Spread Art Throughout Costa Rica.

San José’s National Theater is one of downtown’s most beloved buildings, filled with incredible art and soaring ceilings, and brimming with cultured operas, concerts, and dance. In order to share these national riches with those not convenient to San José’s Plaza de la Cultura, the National Theater has planned three upcoming projects, including a travel art show and a traveling theater group.

“The ‘national’ character of the theater will grow stronger with this project,” Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, María Elena Carballo, said. “This project, without a doubt, will have the outcome of having all Costa Ricans take care of the theater, and if we all feel like its owners, we will all take care of it.”

Agreeing with these words, Jody Steiger, director of the National Theater, noted that the upcoming projects will help further two National Development Plan goals: to develop community culture and to develop Costa Rica culture within Central America and the world.

“Today, the National Theater is much more than a building,” Steiger said. “Its work towards cultural promotion extends to more than the scenic arts. Its three galleries offer plastic art exhibitions.”

The National Theater’s first promotional project, a video about the theater, will be officially presented on August 12 in the theater’s foyer. The DVD will detail the National Theater’s history and will give a virtual tour of the theater’s indoor riches. The DVD, which will cost $30, was produced by Organical Studios, under the direction of Andrea Reyes, and will be available in high definition. It will be available for purchase at Café Britt locations and other small stores throughout the country.

The National Theater’s second project will be called “The Vargas Calvo Theater works of art tour,” and will begin on August 22. The traveling theater will present “The Rose of Two Colors,” by Emilio Carballido, and will arrive in Alajuela’s Municipal Theater on August 22 and 23. The play will later continue on to Cartago, Puntarenas, Heredia, and Guanacaste. After “The Rose of Two Colors,” the Vargas Calvo Theater will present Claudia Barrionuevo’s “Trapped in a Leap-Year February.”

With so much to enjoy, the National Theater assures that all Costa Ricans and visitors will have the opportunity to appreciate the country’s cultural heritage. “At the National Theater, we take our promise very seriously, opening the Theater doors to all Costa Rican and world citizens , to share the rights and duties of enjoying, maintaining, and conserving our National Theater for us, our children, and future generations,” Steiger explained.

Lastly, the National Theater will also send “The National Theater as seen by artists,” an art exhibit, to travel around the country. Created by local artists, the collection has 12 groups, and will travel until 2012.

The National Theater, one of Costa Rica’s greatest cultural heritages, will share its vast wealth with the country’s other six provinces. The goal, beyond sharing artwork, is to create a sense of ownership and responsibility for Costa Rica’s historic building, preserving it for generations to come. After all, just one look at the theater and its offerings will convince anyone that it’s worth being loved and cared for.

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Filed under: Travel on August 6th, 2008