Numancia

It was the autumn of the year 134 BC. when the Romans besieged the town of Numancia with a wall and 60,000 soldiers. But its 2,500 inhabitants preferred to commit suicide rather than surrender. That event inspired The Siege of Numancia (1585), by Cervantes, and now that text is being released, adapted and directed by Gopal and Visnu Ibarra.

Numancia is a musical tragedy that brings 87 people on stage, including musicians, dancers, actors and a citizen choir with men, women and children, who were chosen by open audition. The cast includes Daniela Lhorente, Mario Horton and Gabriel Cañas, but the protagonist of the work is the town, performed by the citizen choir. That prominence is one of the main reasons why Gopal and Visnu decided to set it up.

“Cervantes returns here the tragic feeling to the people,” says Visnu. And Gopal adds: “It is important to stage the use and abuse of the people by the empire, the action of the powerful over the oppressed, because today that is in all types of analogous spheres and spaces.” Along with the resistance, this staging especially highlights the role of women in the social struggle.

Artistic File

Dramaturgy: Miguel de Cervantes
Dramaturgical adaptation and direction: Gopal and Visnu Ibarra Roa
General production and press: Francisca Babul
Musical composition and direction: Diego Belmar
Orchestral arrangements and scores: Daniel Salas
Vocal direction: Annie Murath
Costume design: Jorge “Chino” González
Lighting design: Valentina San Juan
Choreography: Tania Rojas
Choreography assistant: Valentina Chávez
Children's dance assistant: Javiera Molina
Direction and production assistance production: Carol Badilla
Sound: Marcello Martínez
Musicians: Daniel Salas, Ignacio Valenzuela, Rodrigo Belmar, Sebastián Pavez, Emilia Cadenasso, Oscar Nuñez, Gorky Largo
Cast: Simón Aravena, Daniel Lattus, Héctor Mardones, Gabriel Cañas, Mariela Mignot, Carolina Larenas, Felipe Lagos, Mario Horton, Cristián González, Alejandra Oviedo, Cristina Aburto, Gabriela Arroyo, Valentina Campos, Daniela Lhorente, Marco Espinoza, Darwin Le Roy
Dancers: Alena Arce, Juan Pablo Quezada, Bárbara Achondo, César Cisternas
Citizen Choir: Alejandra Reyes, Alejandro Leppe, Ángela Ramírez, Antara Krögh, Axa González, Camila Martínez, Carlos Carvajal, Carlos Espinoza, Casandra Day, Constanza Guarda, Constanza Marín, Cristóbal Cruz, Cristián Dimas, Dyana Espinoza, Edith Díaz, Edson González, Elizabeth Alfaro, Emilio Ciriza, Fabián Villalobos, Fernanda Carreño, Francisco Silva, Francisco Nahuel Curinao, Gonzalo Pinto, Jacob Reyes, Jonathan Díaz, Jorge Luis Abarzúa, Jorge Arce, José Zambelli, Katrina Vera, Liliana Meza, Llacolén Chavarría, Luis Toledo, Magdalena Chacón, Manuel Flores, María Emilia Martínez, Mónica Pérez, Nicole Vial, Oscar Grandón, Pablo Medina, Pamela Eglinton, Pedro José Leiva, Rodrigo Díaz, Rosa Rodríguez, Sandra Ampuero, Sebastián Barrientos, Sebastián Chandía, Stephanie Preller, Vanessa Martínez, Yasna Millaqueo.
Children: Emilia González, Isidora Toledo, Lenin Dimas, Millantu Hilbert, Vicente Meléndez, Amanda Díaz, Anaís Puebla, Milagros Horton, Vicente Toledo, Colomba Vigile, Francisca González.
Photographic and audiovisual record: Magdalena Chacón and María Emilia Martínez
Graphic design: Francisco Candelori

Previous seasons

Numancia was part of the GAM 2016 Call on the Cervantes line.  It premiered on August 4 of the same year and was in theaters until August 28.