The Intriguing: Dreams and Longings of a Spanish Infanta in a Precise Production with Notable Performances

The Nün Teatro Bar is currently hosting "La intrigante," a play that delves into the complex life and unfulfilled dreams of Carlota Joaquina Teresa Cayetana de Borbón y Borbón, an Infanta of Spain. The production, set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 19th century in Europe and the Americas, sheds light on her ambition to reign as the Queen of the River Plate.

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There are zones of the story that may be little known to those who do not navigate that discipline on a daily basis.

While her husband, King John VI, kept her away from political affairs, Carlota Joaquina actively pursued her aspirations through correspondence, seeking recognition as the legitimate sovereign of the territory south of the continent. The play suggests Manuel Belgrano may have been involved in these aspirations, adding a layer of historical intrigue.

Director Jimena del Pozo Peñalva employs bold and thought-provoking staging choices. The play features three performers, though one, a musician, remains veiled throughout the performance. This veiled figure, whose presence is felt through percussive music with an apparent African influence, symbolizes the excluded and invisible figures in colonial history and the slave trade. The musician only emerges at the play's conclusion, a powerful visual statement on historical marginalization.

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A woman in a convulsive time, who was displaced by history, victim of plots and maker of intrigues that sought to turn her into what she dreamed of and did not achieve: being the queen of the Plata.

Juan Ignacio Fernández's script masterfully recreates historical language, employing rhetorical and stylistic devices from different eras that resonate with Spanish-speaking audiences. This linguistic authenticity, combined with the performers' successful execution and the innovative staging, creates a compelling theatrical experience that explores themes of power, ambition, and historical exclusion.

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This staging decision is risky, because while it denounces, it...