"Teatro in Time of Plague – 57

Monday, October 19, 2020 - 88,425 cases, 2, 568 deaths

Today is Progreso’s birthday. El 19 of October 1892 Progreso was declared a legal “municipio”. At the time it counted on 505 inhabitants. It was the brainchild of one William James Bain, who was the British consul in Puerto Cortés. Bain discovered the area and especially its forests of mahogany and set up in business shipping the forests to England. He was the first mayor, and a descendent, Roberto Michelletti, still controls the city (and was the first “president” of the coup government in 2009). Bain cleared the fields of trees so the banana companies could set up their plantations – thus Progreso became a headquarters of the United Fruit Company. That whole period is wonderfully brought to life by O. Henry in his volume of Central American stories Cabbages and Kings – highly recommended if you don’t know it.

A student at the Jesuit technical school next to the teatro was murdered Saturday night and his body dumped in the cane fields. The violence plague is reaping more mortal victims than the Covid plague. R.I.P. Josián Guillermo Córdova Martínez, 18 years old.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 - 89, 381 cases, 2, 576 deaths.


The troupe recorded the second part of Frontera Sin Fin this morning. (They have divided it into three parts). They seem to be on schedule for that. (Radio Progreso wants it for the end of the months. There is still a lot of editing to do, but they should make it). In the afternoon we had a meeting to start planning next year. We are following Broadway’s lead: supposing that there won’t be any live theatre until at least June. And very possible longer. Edy and Luis had worked up a plan based on that supposition (we continue with the radioteatro the first semester of the year, and return to the boards from July onward). Everything, of course, depends on our friend Coronavirus.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020 - 90, 232 cases, 2, 582 deaths

The ministry of education estimates that one fifth, 20 percent, of the public school population has dropped out due to lack of access to internet. The mobile hospital destined for Choluteca is on the road. The one for Santa Rosa de Copán is still being inspected in customs.

I went with Karol to the coffee shop Café Esperanza. The one right across the street from city hall. We went with her daughter Ana Lucía, who is 11. Karol is Chito’s oldest child and we are great friends. Karol has a job as an essential worker in a supermarket in San Pedro Sula. She lives with relatives there, and comes to Progreso on her days off when she can get transportation. We usually go for baleadas or tacos mejicanos, but we have to go in the afternoon and those places aren’t open yet as far as I know.

Thursday, October 22, 2020 - 91, 078 cases 2, 596 deaths.

Friday, October 23, 2020 - 91, 509 cases, 2, 604 deaths.

The mobile hospital for Santa Rosa de Copán has passed customs inspection and is on its way to its destiny. The three that are still on the high seas have disappeared from view. I had another grand adventure this morning: Went with Odgar to Café Epseranza, the one that I went to with Karol and Ana Lucía. And I did it illegal: it wasn’t my digit. (But nobody is paying any attention to that). Luis was feeling bad and had me a bit nervous (I didn’t see him in person). He took the afternoon off and rested, and says he seems to have killed it. We shall see. We have a meeting in the morning of the directorate triumvirate or whatever we will call our administrative body.

Saturday, October 24, 2020 - 91, 882 cases, 2, 612 deaths.

 

We spent the morning in another of our ongoing meetings about where we can go for the foreseeable future. I am taking our cue from Broadway, The Metropolitan Opera, and other stuff in the States: the first semester of 2021 won’t see any live theatre. We have to continue with radioteatro, but we don’t have any way to fund it.

Sunday, October 25, 2020 - 92, 724 cases, 2, 617 deaths.

Tropical depression Zeta has become Tropical Storm Zeta and is just north of the Bay Islands. We have an overcast rainy day (but not heavy rain yet). Cases are going up and there are rumours that they will begin to tighten up again, as is happening in Europe at the moment. Murders and disappeared children are also up. It’s my friend Roger’s digit today as well as mine, so we went out to Las Tejas Another wild adventure.

Keep safe and wash your hands,

Jack

 

 

 


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