Villanueva de los Infantes recovers, one century after its premiere, “Aventura”, the first known stage play set in the village.

Villanueva de los Infantes se prepara para vivir una cita muy especial con su historia literaria y teatral. El próximo sábado 28 de noviembre, a las 20:30 horas, el Auditorio de La Encarnación acogerá el reestreno de “Aventura”, una comedia escrita por Enrique Suárez de Deza y estrenada originalmente el 18 de octubre de 1926 en el Teatro Eslava de Madrid.

One hundred years later, the play will come back to life in the Castilla-La Mancha village where its plot is set, thanks to a new production by Quo? Teatro that will allow the public to discover a unique piece of Infanteño literary heritage.

The recovery of this text has been possible thanks to the research work of historian Carlos Javier Rubio, who located the original play and highlighted its connection with Villanueva de los Infantes. On October 26, Rubio handed over a copy to the Town Council to help preserve and disseminate it.

A comedy between 1920s Madrid and Villanueva de los Infantes

“Aventura” tells the story of Gloria Rubens, known as “the most interesting woman in Madrid”, a young widow, beautiful, wealthy and cosmopolitan in spirit, who, after receiving a mysterious letter, sets out on a journey to Villanueva de los Infantes, the hometown of her late husband.

Her arrival will set off a series of events shaped by family secrets, emotions and the contrast between the sophisticated society of Madrid in the happy twenties and the customs of a provincial town.

The comedy, which at its original premiere featured performers of the calibre of Pepita Meliá, offers an interesting portrait of the society of its time, addressing issues such as social conventions, family relationships and the role of women.

The direction of this production is in the hands of Teresa Serna, theatre director of the group Crea Escena Manzanares and a prominent figure in amateur theatre in Castilla-La Mancha, with a long career linked to the performing arts of the region.

Serna takes on the challenge of bringing to the present-day stage a comedy written a hundred years ago, respecting the essence of the original text and seeking an interpretation close to the contemporary audience.

Under her direction, Quo? Teatro is working on a proposal that pays special attention to the construction of the characters, their conflicts and the relationships that shape the plot, combining the comedic character of the play with the moments of greatest emotional intensity in the story.

The production will also feature the costume and set design by Francisco Javier Peinado, who proposes a staging inspired by the aesthetics of the 1920s and Art Deco, recreating the two worlds in which the action takes place: cosmopolitan Madrid and Villanueva de los Infantes at the beginning of the 20th century.

The revival of “Aventura” is an opportunity to bring to light a practically forgotten work and to recover a little-known chapter of the cultural history of Villanueva de los Infantes.