Instructor’s Play Debuts in Madrid

A play written by Spanish instructor Elena Gosalvez-Blanco premiered on stage last month at a theater in her hometown of Madrid, Spain. Her play debuted at Microteatro Por Dinero from April 9 through May 4.

Gosalvez-Blanco’s play begins with a scene inwhich a loving couple returns to their house after searching for their lost dog. The boyfriend quarrels with the girlfriend, who argues that they should continue to search for their dog, while the boyfriend says that they should give up. Gosalvez-Blanco explained that the play is a comedy that builds tension throughout the entire show, but ends with a happy ending in which the characters end up finding their lost dog.

“My topic was inspired by one of the directors who wanted me to write something related to her dog,” Gosalvez-Blanco said. “In the dialogue that you witness, for about fifteen minutes you learn a lot about their relationship in a very comedic way. There are different personalities included, both the guy and the girl. At the end they find the dog, even though you feel like they are going to split up; it’s a happy ending.”

Gosalvez-Blanco said that she wrote the play under a pressured timespan. “I was under a deadline when I wrote the play, so I had to write it very quickly, like you guys with papers,” she said. She said she was lucky that her play was selected out of the many submitted to Microteatro Por Dinero.

In Spain, a typical theatrical performance consists of one venue that features a single play. Recently, however, Microteatro Por Dinero has been implementing a new style of dramatic production that includes four short plays being performed simultaneously in four separated stages, adjoined by a restaurant. 

Gosalvez-Blanco said that initially she was afraid that the play would be totally different off-script; however, she said that because the play was performed by professional actors and actresses who perform regularly in TV shows and other dramatic productions, the outcome was satisfying.

While the debuted play was not the first play she has written, Gosalvez-Blanco said that it was the first published show; she has had years of experience of writing and editing plays and other forms of theatrical literature.

“I went to graduate school and got a masters in writing literature and publishing and I wrote a lot of plays in graduate schools, but this is the first play that has premiered. When I lived in Spain I used to be an executive book editor. I know a lot of the writers and theater directors, so I got commissioned to write the play.”

From the time she was only a child to now, Gosalvez has been actively involved in the theater world.

“My grandfather introduced me into theater; I spent a lot of nights with him in the theater watching plays and meeting famous actors and writers,” Gosalvez said. 

When Gosalvez-Blanco’s students heard that her play was debuted in Madrid, they reacted with excitement and admiration.

Upper June Han, one of Gosalvez-Blanco’s advisees, noted Gosalvez-Blanco’s accomplishment and also her humility. “She casually mentioned it when she was dropping by my room one day to check us in,” Han said. “We were impressed not only by the play's pending premiere, but also by her modesty.”

Lower Margaux Morris said that the news of the play’s debut was unexpected yet unsurprising.“She's a talented, eloquent and hardworking woman," Morris said.

Han added that she, along with the rest of her students, are extremely proud of Gosalvez-Blanco’s accomplishment. “It's a big feat to get attention like that, but she took it all in stride. We're all really excited for her. The play is definitely another bullet point for her long list of accomplishments,” she said.

Now that the play has already been performed in a professional theater, Gosalvez-Blanco said that she might translate her play into English so the theater department or DRAMAT could use it in the future.

“I’m not sure if I can translate it and have it still be funny, but maybe I’ll try to write an adaption and bring it to Exeter,” Gosalvez-Blanco said. “I’ve taught Hispanic Theater here several times, so maybe next time I can make the kids write a complete and original fifteen minute play, and perhaps they can be inspired by mine.”

Gosalvez-Blanco continued and said that she hopes to keep writing dramatic productions. She may debut another play this winter. “I loved writing this play because its so novel and different. I definitely want to do it again; I just want to continue to write plays,” she said.