Related videos:
The Cuban theater scene is in mourning this Sunday following the passing of José Emigdio Pascual Varona, known as "Pini," an actor, playwright, artistic director, and educator who devoted decades of his life to the performing arts in Santiago de Cuba.
The news was confirmed by various arts institutions in Santiago, such as the Cultural Directorate and the Performing Arts Company, which highlighted that Pini was born in Santiago de Cuba and passed away in his hometown, where he built a significant artistic career within Cuban performing arts.
He was a key figure in Calibán Teatro, one of the most recognized theater groups in the eastern part of the country, with international reach that included performances in Spain, the former USSR, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Curaçao.
He was also a pioneer of Teatrova —a movement that blends theater with trova, a genre deeply rooted in Santiago's culture— and was part of the collective A Dos Manos.
As the co-founder of the Máscara de Caoba Theater Festival, established in 1987, Pini played a key role in solidifying the main theater event in Eastern Cuba, which has been held biennially since 1996 and reached its 22nd edition in 2024.
He was also a promoter of the cultural nights on Calle Heredia and the creator of the gathering "Desempolvando," which operated in the old VIVAC of Santiago de Cuba as a space dedicated to narrating and preserving the history of the city.
In the academic field, he served for several years as the head of the Theater Department at the branch of the Superior Institute of Art (ISA) in Santiago de Cuba, training generations of actors and performing artists.
Throughout his career, he accumulated more than 20 awards, including the distinction of Artist of Merit from the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), the title of Master of Generations awarded by the University of the Arts, the Raúl Gómez García Award, the Heredia Plaque, the Nicolás Guillén Diploma, and the Avellaneda Plaque.
Among his latest honors, the authorities of Santiago de Cuba presented him with the Key to the City, the highest municipal honorary distinction.
Calibán Teatro was the first institution to announce his passing: "Today Calibán Teatro and the city of Santiago de Cuba are in mourning. Today our Maestro José Emigdio Pascual Varona (Pini) embarks on his journey of light."
The institution Cultura Santiago de Cuba also expressed its sorrow: "José Pascual Varona has departed, our beloved Pini, actor, playwright, and professor at the Instituto Superior de Arte, a mentor of generations and a man who proudly held the Key to the City."
The Sierra Maestra newspaper published an obituary titled "In mourning: the Santiago stage and Cuban culture."
The death of Pini adds to a streak of losses for Cuban theater. In recent months, the actor Félix Pérez Ortiz, the fellow Santiago native Carlos Quintas, the playwright Salvador Lemis, and the actor and playwright Gilberto Subiaurts have passed away.
"Today a son of Santiago de Cuba has passed away, one of those who are born only once every few decades. The key you carried was just a symbol: you always held the true key to our affection and our memory. Your legacy remains on stage and in your students," wrote Cultura Santiago de Cuba in their farewell.
Filed under: