Consorcio Patronato del Festival de Merida (ES): Merida theatre

11.10.2023

Consorcio Patronato del Festival de Merida (ES): Merida theatre

Address: C/ Santa Julia, 5; 06800 Mérida (Spain)
Tel: +34 924 00 94 80
Email: oficinadegestion@festivaldemerida.es

In 1910 archaeological excavations began to recover the theatre and the Roman amphitheatre of Mérida. The Roman Theatre can thus recover its original function and the use for which it was created.

On June 18, 1933, the Mérida Classical Theatre Festival was born with the performance “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Emblematic Spanish intellectuals such as Margarita Xirgu, Rivas Cherif, Unamuno are closely linked to this historic date, since they were the architects of the event. The following year, the great lady of the Spanish stage of the time, “la Xirgu”, would return to the Roman theatre to give life to Medea and Electra. Shortly after, History was clouded by successive political events, the Civil War and the post-war period. Silence once again covered the Roman theatre. In 1954, José Tamayo directed “Oedipus” and the performances were normalized. In 2024 the Mérida Festival will celebrate its 70th edition.

The Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival has been a prestigious reference within the group of classical theatre festivals for decades, not only nationally but also internationally. The nerve centre of this event is the Roman Theatre of Mérida.

In 1978 the Board of Trustees was legally created to regulate the Mérida Festival and in 2002 the Consortium of the “Board of the International Classical Theatre Festival at the Roman Classic Theatre of Mérida was created, with the mission of managing and promoting the International Theatre Festival. The board is made up of the Regional Government of Extremadura (Junta de Extremadura), Mérida City Council, Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, as well as Provincial Councils of Cáceres and Badajoz.

SHORT BIOS OF MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT

Pedro

Pedro Blanco

Since 2012 is acting as Managing Director of the Consortium of the Board of the International Classical Theatre Festival of Mérida

Degree in Law. State public official since 1986. Belongs to the State Management Corps, and has served in the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Finance. Since 2012, he has been Managing Director of the Consortium of the Board of Trustees of the International Classical Theatre Festival of Mérida.

Email: pedro.blanco@festivaldemerida.es
Tel: +34 683 29 69 33

Jesús Cimarro

Artistic Director of Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival since 2012.

Businessperson and theatre producer. Master in Cultural Management. Currently president of the Association of Producers and Theatres of Madrid and is, in turn, president of the State Federation of Associations of Theatre and Dance Production Companies of Spain. In addition, he has been president of the Academy of Performing Arts of Spain (AAEE) for 4 years.

Member of the European Federation of Entertainment Entrepreneurs. Since 1988, he has been president of the theatrical production and distribution company “Pentación Espectáculos S.A. (Madrid)”.

Email: jesus@pentacion.com

Tel: +34 915 239 790

Laura Gil