In the children's show Horta the children graze the earth, they smell like herbs, they sing songs and discover stories rooted in the land and Valencian customs. All this in Valencian, of course. And, probably, one of the most paradigmatic works of the veteran company The Horta Theatre who this year will receive the National Performing Arts Award for Children and Youth in recognition of his almost fifty years of theatrical career, especially focused on childhood recently. We spoke to its manager and co-founder, Alfred Pico, who stars in the company's latest production in November Talia Theater [8-26/11] together with his friend and companion in theatrical adventures Carles Alberola. The last dance, to date, from a company that defends the Valencian and cultivates quality theater from the periphery with humor as its flag.
First of all, congratulations on the award! How did you hear the news that the Ministry of Culture was awarding you a National Award?
I received a phone call from a long number, I thought it was from some official place here in Valencia, but it was the cabinet of the minister of education, that if I could wear, that the minister wanted to talk to me… First I freaked out and then I had a very funny conversation with Mr. Iceta.
What does the award mean to you??
A recognition of the work done for so many years, in silence, from the periphery, that supports us and pushes us towards the future. And we want this Award to belong to all of us who are dedicated to the performing arts in Valencia, because we all know what it costs and how little impact we have on the rest of the state.
The prize arrived while you were finishing The last dance, a work for an adult audience that premieres on November 8 at the Talia Theatre. Tell us a little about her.
The work talks about how, for a yes or a no, life becomes something else, it also talks about friendship and how we have in our hands to redo our lives, of the pleasure of acting…
The Horta Teatre gained notoriety in the year 1991 with the release ofEither you or res by Carles Alberola where you played one of the characters i, more than thirty years later, the Alberola-Picó tandem returns under the umbrella of L’Horta Teatre with The last dance. What would you say about Alberola as a playwright, com a director, as an interpreter and as a friend?
We met at the School of Dramatic Art in Valencia and have understood each other ever since, both professionally, com in life, we are friends. As a writer, I would say that it is recognizable and that it always has the audience in mind, as a director that in his hands an interpreter will never be bad, that he is very demanding as much as he is with himself; as an interpreter, which is underrated, there are those who consider that comedy, the one that Carles brought to the scene, it's easy, but I've seen him work on a farm and he's a beast! The profession owes him more than one prize. as friends, we have shared a life together, we know each other, we respect each other, ens riem (a lot) and sometimes we cry.
The play wants to be a tribute to anonymous actors and actresses who make people happy with their work. It is not the first time that you reflect on the theater or the acting profession in your shows, I love him, for example, in Show cost (2012) by Roberto García. Why are you interested in looking into the profession??
I think that, tant Roberto, such as Charles, they use our craft to talk about things that happen to us all and with which the audience can identify and accompany us on the journey we take on stage.
How worrying is the precariousness of workers in the sector? Has it decreased in recent years or remains the same?
It is very worrying and everything points to the fact that it will get more complicated. I think that in recent years there have been many possibilities to do things and many places to stay, but this has not made a majority of the sector no longer precarious.
You have incorporated new technologies into your shows. They have been important tools in euphoria (2010) o The war of the worlds 2.0, a round piece to which (correct me if i'm wrong) he was not given the credit he deserved. What appeals to you about the incorporation of new technologies into the scene? They can disturb more than contribute if they are not used sensibly and in moderation?
I agree with what you say about The war of the worlds 2.0, but at that time the circuit was almost run down and the situation in Valencia was not much better, we came from very, very dark years. Technology in Roberto's hands (creator of these shows) he was always at the service of the story to tell and the research of new languages, Roberto was a pioneer in this field, also little recognized and valued.
Can a Valencian theater company be self-sufficient in a world where the first buyer is the administration?
NO, in capital letters, with a phosphorescent neon: NO!
How fragile is the financial situation of L'Horta Teatre?
We have achieved a precarious balance, aid is not the only source of funding, also the sale of the shows, rentals… But a bad show, a drastic reduction in aid, or any change that does not go in the direction of strengthening the structures, it can bring us back to very dark times, of crisis.
Do you think that the public administrations have known where they wanted to take the Valencian theater in recent years?
At least there was dialogue, desire to understand each other and increase, any rere any, of budget, which is no small thing considering where we came from.
How is the situation with the change of regional and municipal government?
At the regional level, it is an unknown, there hasn't been much dialogue, it took a long time to make the teams and you don't know where you want to go, we only talk about what we want to destroy. At municipal level we have a manager, Jose Luis Moreno, who knows the sector, knows of the shortcomings and difficulties, and communication is easy. From here, to work.
It is common to hear criticism of the subsidies that the world of culture receives, criticisms that disappear when Ford d'Almussafes receives the subsidy. You dream that one day culture will be as valued here as in other countries around us?
The people (in general) he does not know our sector and remains in the most superficial part, but it is more than proven that every euro invested in culture returns multiplied by much more to society, not counting the benefit in other non-tangible aspects, what a patio of laughing chairs is worth, crying, getting excited about a story. I would love, but I'm not that innocent, we don't have the scenic fact so rooted, nor by the public, nor of the institutions, just take a look at the budgets.
L'Horta Teatre celebrates half a century 2024. How do you plan to celebrate it??
Right off the bat, we've premiered The last dance, which will be on tour all season throughout the theater circuit, we are preparing a book of the last twenty years, also an audiovisual with people who have worked at L'Horta, we will host the Amateur Theater Assembly in the hall, in May we will hold the Days of the Tveo Association, and some other surprises…
