THE CLASSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL IN MERIDA

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Creado en Viernes, 24 Julio 2015 06:40

Última actualización en Lunes, 27 Julio 2015 10:19

Escrito por José Manuel Jato

Visitas: 1711

This year the Classical Theatre Festival in Mérida has reached its  61^st Edition. A Festival that every summer has earned a meritorious reputation for quality, both for its well-kept plays, as for the prestigious actors who represent them.

When the visitor is in the Roman Theatre, so well preserved, is amazed and impressed thinking that in these stones has been represented throughout history many plays that people have enjoyed along the time.

The Theatre has a capacity of over 3,000 spectators strategically placed in an ascending semicircular structure with a perfect view of the stage. This allows the actors to see and feel the audience very close to them and makes the interpretation of the play a challenge.

For me, visiting Mérida to attend the Theatre Festival has become an essential event each summer and has never disappointed me.

In this 61^st Edition the Classical Theatre Festival presents many good plays. I chose to see "Socrates. Trial and death of a citizen ".

Socrates is a leading figure of Grecian thought which we should have present in our current philosophical thought.

Socrates was a philosopher who used to walk down the streets, loved going on foot, sitting at the squares and talking to people in the markets. He was a man who based his life in search for the truth, honesty, justice and who started from the idea of not knowledge, hence the famous phrase attributed to him "I just know that I know nothing".

Such singular and insobornable character leads him to be convicted and sentenced to die poisoned by insidious people that belonged to the government class who at that time governed in a recent political system called democracy. This kind of powerful people could not stand the independence and ethics of a man of integrity.

Following the Socrates life, we can see the parallelism between that age (of more than 2400 years ago) and our current age. What means that nothing has changed.

Socrates doubts, his questions, his efforts to find answers and continuous questioning of all, is his legacy. This heritage is what we should follow..

At the end of the play “Socrates. Trial and death of a citizen” while he was dying he said the following:

"I know that there will always be someone to walk beside me to denounce the corruption of those who fill their pockets until are full ... I never ceased to believe in men… Be happy and respectful.

Socrates was a Democrat who was convicted for a democracy system in which he believed.

If you are ever in Mérida in summer, you should not miss the opportunity to visit the Classical Theatre Festival.

Jose Jato, 21^st  of July 2015