Long before José Zorrilla wrote in the 19th century the famous and repeated “Is it not true, angel of love, / that on this secluded shore / the moon shines purer / and you breathe better?”, in the mouth of Don Juan Tenorio and addressed to the novice Doña Inés, verse 19 of chapter 3 of the book of Genesis left us that of “Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris” (Remember man that you are dust and to dust you will return). And this same Latin phrase presided over the stage where this Saturday the umpteenth performance of the Valladolid author was held. A stage where, until this third Saturday of November, it had never been performed anywhere in the world.
It was in the sacramental cemetery of San Justo in Madrid, the old Cerro de las Ánimas, inaugurated in August 1847 and where some of the most important Spanish writers of the 19th century rest. Where the author of the work was buried for three years, although since May 1893 his bones rest in Valladolid; where Carlos Latorre, the first of the actors who represented Don Juan, is also buried.
It was a stage without a curtain, but surrounded by ficus trees. With a chapel as a rear, with a temple converted into the dressing room of the actors and actresses of the Friends of the Theater of Valladolid Association, in charge of representing the play. With a Jesus Christ nailed to the cross that appeared every time the door was opened and closed. And a huge patio full of tombstones, with plastic and natural flowers, in which almost two hundred people sat, covered with a blanket and with the background sound of birds, an ambulance and even a helicopter.
The idea that Doña Inés died of love at the doors of a chapel in Carabanchel came from Paloma Contreras and Ainara Ariztoy, founders of the FunerARTE Cultural Association. A proposal whose gauntlet was not only picked up by the Association of Friends of the Theater of the Valladolid capital, but also by Casa Zorrilla, the City Council and the Provincial Council.
The performance began after five in the afternoon, still with natural light and a cold that had not yet penetrated the bones. Previously, the organizers chose to place two bouquets of white and purple flowers – “so de Castilla”, they said – on the tomb of the author, whom they thanked for writing the most performed work in Spanish in history.
The expectant public took little time to cover up. Some carried an extra blanket just in case, hats and mittens. There were coughs and laughter, but not a sound of a cell phone ringing. rang I will hum it At the beginning, the headset microphones played some tricks with the sound on the actors and actresses, one of the swords cut a couple of leaves from the trees, and several assistants repeated some of the fragments of that by heart. Don Juan Tenorio that today would be abruptly cancelled.
For harassing a minor above all, even though the verses contain some of the patterns from the manual of toxic masculinity and love that are still in excellent health. Those bets gentlemen where they talk about passions, pleasure and loves. Where one fights a duel for “defiantly killed” and “mocked women.” Where at the very least a woman who doubts is considered a “poor caged heron.” A Spain of young men and maidens, where they boast and only fear, at least in lip service, for the final judgment and the opinion of the Almighty.
When it was over, some faces were like those of some of the protagonists, muffled by the cold. “How beautiful,” whispered several attendees in the second row, who repeated verses at the end like the words of the Creed, on a run. The moon, almost full, the night closed and much colder around seven or so in the afternoon, when Tenorio passed away after having deprived it of other characters.
Many final applauses, thanks and quickly the disassembly, with the actor who commissioned Don Luis Mejía, eternal rival of the protagonist, in charge of one of the spotlights. Outside the cemetery, an improvised beach bar with drinks and food for some of those present. At around nine at night, Ainara Ariztoy confessed that she had already stopped crying after this unique moment.