The Catalan Theater group "Els Comediants" celebrates its 25 years of existence with the premiere of the play Anthology at the Nuevo Apolo Theater in Madrid, April 29. Anthology is based on the 15 shows created by this company during these past 25 years, which are linked together by an argument about the creation of the universe.

Comediants is a collective formed by actors, musicians and all kinds of artists completely dedicated to the world of creation. Although they are basically known as a theatre group, their creative efforts have found expression through a wide range and variety of activities in the most disparate fields: Design, records, books, festival projects, films, costume, teaching materials and television series are some of the different areas in which the group, speaking either with their own voice or through others, has found its particular form of expression.

Disciples of the Barcelona independent school of theatre, Comediants first appeared in 1971, with a bend towards the more avant-garde theatre which was being done abroad (Thetre de Soleill, Bread and Puppet Theatre, Teatro de Campesino in San Francisco, the Odin Teatret, etc.). They staked their claim to a type of theatre based on collective experiences, without text, or director.

The theatre they produced was aimed at the recuperation of a theatre which was both scenically alive and inter-disciplinary, in the style of the old Comediantes, or travelling players, who filled the town squares with nothing more than a barrow, a story and a thousand tricks with which to tell their tale which came out differently each time.

Comediants use their rich imagination, as well as a truly Mediterranean sense of life as a pastime, as their sources of inspiration, and have, over the years, created a working method in which there are no possible limitations. Anywhere can be the stage (a street, a square, an entire district, a river, the aqueduct of Segovia, the Maracana Stadium), anything can be dramatised (a glass of milk, a bed, a carnival giant. . .) the use of any kind of language (mime, clowning, comedia dellarte, puppets) is perfectly valid in order to get across to the spectator, without the establishing of any distinction of age. Anthology is directed by Joan Font, who has also written the script in order to offer his 25 years of service to the theater in one single performance.

Anthology runs at Nuevo Apolo Theater. 1, Plaza de Tirso de Molina Street. Madrid. For Tickets: Cajamadrid: +34 902 488 488. Subway Station: Tirso de Molina.

--By Carlos Lorenzo
Spain Correspondent