The theater in the eyes and skin of Lucho Mueckay and Gabriela Andrade

First the sun stormed Guayaquil and Samborondón with its intense rays, then a short but heavy downpour drenched the streets, and finally the sun came up again, with even more intensity. These climatic changes were not in the script for that day, but Gabriel Andrew And lucho mueckay They have always known how to handle life’s unforeseen events and any storm they encountered Sanchez Aguilar Theater.

Guayaquil, port of theatrical arts in the 1920s

When they see each other face to face, they lock themselves in a warm embrace accompanied by a smile. “Gabriela or Gaby?” Mueckay asks the light-eyed blonde, who soon replies: Gaby.

At 33 years old, she proposes a career focused on musical theatre; in 2021 he founded Royal company with which he has brought works inspired by Disney characters to the stage. With more than 15 years of experience, she is a producer, singer and actress.

At the age of 66, he has made performing arts his eternal love; He founded the collective 35 years ago Sarao and opened a room that has contributed to the city’s cultural environment for many years. With more than 40 years of experience, he is an actor, dancer, director, comedian and teacher.

Two generations meet again in the dressing room of a theater to talk about one of the most complete professions in the performing arts, which will open its doors on March 27. World Theater Day.

Earlier they called on national and regional governments and private companies to continue making art.

What has been your favorite character?

Gaby: The snake in Antoine, to me that production is something that means a lot in my career. It’s a before and after of Gabriela as an actress.

Lucho: Did you wear a mesh?

Gaby: yes with a gauze

Lucho: When I saw (the character of the snake), I told my partner that there was a good physical job. Look what a cool surprise.

Gaby: And also Marilyn (Microwork she presents at Pop Up).

Lucho: In my case it would be the teacher Norma Lixta, she is a character with whom I have the key to humor to be able to say more serious things. And another character that I also really like is Ausencio González and Chiriboga from diary of a madman because he is a character who, despite his incarceration, presents freedom as a way of life.

Should Ecuador increase its theater offer?

fought: Occasionally, the theater has had ups and downs. We live in a time when theater attendance is very low, due to the insecurity caused by the problems that are happening in the country. It is necessary that the cultural policy of the country or of our cities is aimed at making the theater space safe… that is, that we do not let ourselves be overcome by fear. Now we live in a time where we need to come together and say, ‘we need to get people to go to the theatre, because the theater is a place where we can learn that life is possible and a better life is possible .

Gabriel: If artists don’t do our part to evolve and that there are more proposals as such, nothing will change. And much more with this virus that we have, which is crime, stopping everything in general. I would say that we are the artists ourselves who have to start supporting each other, leave the ego behind, leave all this stuff behind.

Characters who remain behind the scenes

The hardest thing about practicing theatre?

Gabriel: You have to sacrifice a lot, and when you get to the point where you live purely from the theater, you sacrifice even more quality time with your family or with the people you love most. Another challenge I’ve learned as a producer is knowing how to control my emotions, knowing how to control my anxiety. It’s a great challenge because it’s not easy to put on a production, it’s not easy to see everyone come and try to fill the rooms.

fought: One of the most constant challenges I’ve had is that we’re never satisfied with what we’ve accomplished, no matter how successful or beautiful it may seem. There is always somewhere far out there to walk. The performances made in the theater will always be the beginning of new cycles, of new experiences, of new processes. Success in the theater is not in the goal, but in the process. Just like when you’re a student, like when you’re in a production or at an artistic event. The challenge is never to feel like we’ve already accomplished everything.

Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel?

Gabriel: Many times I’ve wanted to throw in the towel and say ‘I’ve come this far, I’m not going anymore’ but at the same time this is life and the truth is that with stress, with anxiety, with headaches, with worries I feel me alive. In fact, I left my conventional job at the company because I said, ‘It doesn’t matter if I win or not, but I enjoy what I do. For me, fear is the obstacle life throws at you to move on, you need to know how to stop it and face it.

fought: We’ve laughed at the question because, to be honest, we’ve often been on the verge of throwing in the towel, on very big things or very small things, or simple or very dangerous things; when we’ve had to close a room, when we haven’t had the success we expected with the expectation of work, when the room has 20 people, and not the 160 we hoped to do, when we haven’t found a sponsor to support us promised something and suddenly says nothing But without wanting to, one is a model for future generations, so I would not like to be remembered as someone who threw in the towel, but rather as someone who took advantage of it to collect the rainwater to dry.

The masks that Óscar Vela kept secret for over 20 years

A life in constant repetition…

Gabriel: It’s incredible, because every day you discover things, especially during rehearsals. Also the fact that you share your energy with other people… I learn a lot from it.

fought: Life is a rehearsal, and life also has those tools that are implemented in theater, such as improvisation. You can have a plan, but improv always comes when things don’t go as planned. I can very safely say at this age that I live what I love because I have always loved what I wanted to do.

What do you think of censorship in the theater?

fought: Censorship is very dangerous to me, wherever it comes from. Whatever the institutional nature, censorship is dangerous, because theater is part of the performing arts, it is part of the discoveries… so we have to say it and do everything, we just have to know how to do it. But when censorship intervenes, it’s because there’s a fanaticism at the bottom or behind it that can’t understand exactly what the performing arts proposition entails. The evolution of performing arts has always been through breakthroughs, and not all breakthroughs are accepted by many people. In the end, times pass and we accept them.

together in the theatre

Lucho: Gaby, when can we share spaces together on stage? I’d seen her on stage but never got to talk to Gaby. I thought she was extraordinary as a woman, as an actress, and for her struggle, which is a bit like mine.

Gaby: Anyway, I wonder when we can share the stage and mutually share the knowledge that everyone has?

the beginning

Why musical theatre?

Gaby: Initially I wanted to be a singer, but the truth is that once I got into the theater world, nobody took me out. It was like an awakening for me, I said ‘I just discovered something that really fills my heart’. Musical theater is something I’m really passionate about, it’s really great to see the composition of musical, acting and dance all united. In music theater you can lose different branches: acrobatics, opera, dance as such.

What does Royal Company mean?

Royal Company is my baby, my dream come true. I was very scared, and until now I am. It was an impulse, when I made Royal Company, I decided to launch my first production with zero dollars, just with a lot of vision.

Why did you choose this world of performing arts?

Lucho: Everything happened at some point, contemporary dance, experimental theatre, the formation of a group, the opening of a hall, the premiere of a play. And that’s exactly what makes someone live for the theater, so Sarao as a project continues to be our daily life, with my partners.

When I was very little, I discovered theater in the school reading book, a comedy, and I don’t know what made me understand that I had to form a group at school. We formed the group and the principal thought it would be a great idea to premiere the works during the school’s end of year party. The background was that ever since I was the youngest in school, the older ones beat me. When we premiered and people applauded, they never hit me again, they never hit me again bullying. So there I understood that there was something stronger than physical violence and that is called art.

Special thanks to Teatro Sánchez Aguilar.