Eclipse and A Trace in the Stars, from Matanzas, among the best shows of 2025.
Matanzas earned two Villanueva Theater Critics’ Awards in 2025. Eclipse, by Danza Espiral, is a work that reaffirms the artistic pursuits of a performer who is not content with mere beauty, but rather aspires to imbue it with meaning and depth.
The production, staged at the Teatro El Mirón Cubano in May, features music by composer Reina Portuondo, and performance and choreography by Lilian Padrón.
Inspired by the story of Marie-Thérèse, mother of French saxophonist Daniel Kientzy, it became a love poem that highlights the unconditional love of mothers, their devotion beyond any sacrifice, and the awe-inspiring mysteries of life and death, as Matanzas art critic, writer, and researcher Ulises Rodríguez Febles observed at the premiere.
According to specialized critics, the unique confluence of sounds, movement, and plastic structure stands out, a union appreciated by the spectators who, in addition, become witnesses to the remarkable way in which the choreographic pattern merges with the dramatic intensity of the music.
In A Trace in the Stars, by Teatro de las Estaciones, which premiered last February, Rubén Darío Salazar draws inspiration from the works of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Asteroid B-612, a poetic interpretation by José Manuel Espino Ortega, and designs a show full of metaphors, in which love is always celebrated.
“People kept asking us when we were going to do The Little Prince. The Little Prince is one of the most frequently adapted literary texts for the world of ballet, film, theater, puppetry, radio, and visual arts.
“I was actually quite afraid because I think it’s a title that’s been done to death and has been interpreted in many different ways. Then one day I came across the book Asteroid B-12 by José Manuel Espino Ortega, winner of the 2015 La Edad de Oro Prize, and suddenly I saw the show.”
The play, which was distinguished as the best show for children, has as its trump cards the beautiful music composed by Raúl Valdés, the choreographies of Yadiel Durán and the wonderful designs of Zenén Calero Medina.
Ale García, Iris Mantilla, Raúl Álvarez, and María Laura Germán are part of the acting cast in which Arlettis Cazorla appeared with singular sensitivity during her first productions. Yadiel Durán and María Laura Germán also serve as assistant directors.
“What I wanted, first, was for it to be a play from the child’s perspective, not the aviator’s; second, for the scenes to be concise, like the puppets that speak in poetry, and also with the possibility of being set to music by Raúl Valdés, who was just waiting for the go-ahead.
“We started working for a year, with Raúl composing the music, Yadiel Durán the choreography, Zenén Calero Medina the designs, and actors from different generations. We received guidance, and then we put the show together. It was a long process, but very satisfying.”
The Matanzas-based theater group’s version of The Little Prince is faithful and consistent with the essence of Teatro de Las Estaciones: through multiple stories, with aesthetics as varied as situations and characters, it exalts the child as the center of all processes, without prejudice or taboos, and denounces all the potentially harsh scenarios for children, while defending the need to always find the beauty in life.
“We love staging A Face in the Stars, and the public receives it very well. It was fortunate enough to be invited to three festivals in 2025: the Corazón Feliz Festival in Havana, Habana Titiritera, also in Havana, and the Havana International Theater Festival. Then, we were surprised to receive the Villanueva Theater Critics’ Award for one of the best shows of the year—in this case, the best show of the year for children.
“It is gratifying to know that for the twentieth time we are receiving one of the main awards from specialized critics in our country.” We don’t work for awards, we work to do things well. And if it’s recognized, all the better.
The Villanueva Theater Critics’ Awards 2025 were also won by the shows Faro, by Teatro Andante; Actea, by the Lyceum Mozartiano of Havana; and El nombre de Juana, by La Nave Oficio de Isla, as well as the project Mujeres, fuente de creación (Women, Source of Creation). In the international category, Core Meu, by the Monte Carlo Ballet, and Gaia 2.0, by the French company Bkahus, were selected.
The awards will be presented on January 21st at the UNEAC (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba), as part of the Villanueva Theater Festival.
Written by Jessica Mesa.
