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The general director of Teatro Vivarta, Antonia Fernández, announced this Friday with “deep shame” the cancellation of the event organized by the Cuban Center of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) to celebrate International Theatre Day alongside artists, technicians, and workers of the industry.
It happened after the National Council of Performing Arts (CNAE) challenged a symbolic recognition intended for the teacher and director of the company El Ciervo Encantado, Nelda Castillo, as detailed by Fernández on her Facebook profile.
The celebration, scheduled for March 27, included welcoming remarks from the ITI Center of Cuba, a speech by the UNESCO representative, and recognition for teacher Castillo for her contributions to Cuban theater.
It was also planned to recognize the Camagüey director Freddy Núñez Estenoz and his group Teatro del Viento for their perseverance during times of crisis.
According to Fernández, the National Council of the Performing Arts challenged the recognition of Castillo for what it considered "very narrow reasons," which ultimately led to the cancellation of the event.
The director emphasized that the distinction did not involve a monetary prize or an official diploma, but was merely a symbolic mention and words of gratitude initiated by the Cuban ITI Center, an initiative that, she noted, does not fall under the purview of state institutions to approve or reject.
Fernández denounced that the ban represents an exercise of control over the artistic will of theater practitioners and reminded that the International Theatre Institute was founded after World War II to promote spaces for reconciliation among artists based on principles of respect and non-violation.
"Despite there being no understanding or possible agreement," he noted, the conversations with the cultural authorities were conducted with restraint and careful listening, but the final outcome was the suspension of a celebration that had been "long prepared and eagerly anticipated."
The decision generated numerous reactions among members of the Cuban theater community.
Several comments posted on social media described the event as a sign of censorship and lamented the attempt to undermine Castillo's legacy, which many consider to be a vital figure in contemporary theater on the island.
The controversy arises weeks after the group El Ciervo Encantado, founded by Castillo and actress Mariela Brito, announced in February their departure from the Centro de Teatro de La Habana, the CNAE, and the Ministry of Culture.
In that statement, the artists declared that they would not continue subjecting their work to the evaluation and approval mechanisms of the state cultural institutions.
Founded 30 years ago, El Ciervo Encantado has been one of the most recognized theatrical collectives in the contemporary Cuban scene, with a body of work characterized by aesthetic experimentation and critical reflection on the realities of the country.
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