Barcelona-born actor Marc Rodríguez is back on stage in La promesa at Teatre Borràs, as he approaches his 50th birthday and marks almost 30 years in theatre.
He said his stage debut came in July 1997, when he was 21, in Valencia by Paco Zarzoso, directed by Rafael Duran at the Beckett Theatre, then on Carrer Alegre de Dalt in Gràcia, as part of the Festival Grec. Before acting, he studied physics.
Rodríguez described himself as a very shy child, and said theatre changed that. He said it helped him move through the world with more confidence, and gave him a way to understand people as well as reality.
La promesa, written by Yago Alonso and Silvia Navarro and directed by Pau Roca, brings a group of friends together for a 1990s-themed party. The reunion becomes a look at old promises, the passage of time, and the gap between what people expected then and how they live now.
The play also touches on Barcelona life today, including the gig economy and the pressure of constant availability. Rodríguez said he does not use services such as Glovo, Uber or Cabify, and prefers to do things himself or accept that some things cannot be done at every hour.
He also reflected on how Barcelona has changed since the 1992 Olympics. He grew up near the Sagrada Família, went to school in Sarrià, and later lived in the Raval from the age of 26. He said he saw the disappearance of a local stream, the building of the ring roads, and what he called a “brutal clean-up” in the Raval as the city reshaped its image.
Rodríguez is part of a generation of Catalan actors that includes Julio Manrique, Xavi Ricart, Ivan Benet, Andrew Tarbet, Norbert Martínez, Cristina Genebat, Mireia Aixalà and Joan Carreras. He said they have always worked together and supported one another, and that he feels lucky to be among the small share of actors who make a living from the profession.
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Originally published by VilaWeb Feed. Read original article.
