"Teatro in Time of Plague – 64

It rained heavily in the wee hours of the morning, but had stopped by the time I got up, leaving us a morning of overcast skies. That broke up around noon, but then later in the afternoon it closed in again. I suppose this is the announced frente frío moving in. Luis wrote his impressions of the show the actors did in a shelter the other day. (The Englilsh translation follows the Spanish text).

Luis F. García - 26 de Noviembre del 2020 #NoEstanSolos ha sido el hashtag promovido por el gobierno en sus campañas digitales para atribuirse una imagen solidaria a nivel internacional, mientras que miles de hondureños se organizan para llevar ayuda a las zonas afectadas por los huracanes ante el abandono del gobierno de Juan Orlando Hernández. Los actores de la fragua no tienen mucho para dar, la economía de la fragua ha decaído enormemente al no poder llevar a cabo presentaciones como producto de la pandemia. “Organicemos una colecta” comentaban en el grupo de Whatsapp, “para poder llevar un pequeño refrigerio a damnificados de las inundaciones”. Los días siguientes empezaron a brindar respuesta, como ser donaciones de 100 lempiras y pan, este último serviría como ingrediente principal del menu. Lizeth(Esposa de Edy) se ha ofrecido a preparar la carne, que a la mañana siguiente los actores utilizarían para preparar el refrigerio que constaba de 200 sandwiches (Lo que les tomaría dos horas), a la vez, decidieron agregar a la actividad una pequeña presentacion de cuentos hondureños, esto enriquecería la experiencia y llevaría algo de alegría a los niños y adultos que pudiesen presenciar la presentación.

27 de Noviembre del 2020 Hemos cargado el busito con todo el equipo que necesitamos para la presentación, la comunidad a la cual nos dirigimos es la aldea 36, de El negrito, Yoro, la cual posee un gran número de damnificados provenientes de Urraco pueblo, miller y Las cuarentas, lugares que se encuentran aún inundadas y obliga a sus habitantes a mantenerse fuera de la zona. Encontramos un galera que sirve para almacenar vehículos que transportan fruta de palma africana, y que nos vendría bien para improvisar un escenario para poder llevar a cabo la presentación. Poco a poco el público se fue acercando, entre ellos niños, niñas, personas de la tercera edad, madres, padres y jóvenes curiosos, fueron uno a uno tomando su lugar en el espacio, a la vez fuimos haciendo entrega del refrigerio a cada uno de los asistentes. La presentación fue tomando fuerza a medida que los actores y actrices daban lo mejor de sí, fue entonces cuando un chubasco interrumpió la armonía del show, ya que rapidamente tuvimos que cubrir el equipo de sonido con un par de láminas que encontramos en el lugar para evitar que este se echara a perder. La presentación duró alrededor de los 40 min, un fuerte aplauso resultó ser la mejor paga para el esfuerzo del elenco el día de hoy. Entre risas nos depedimos de los asistentes y preparamos todo para devolverlo al busito y partir de regreso a casa. Estabamos a una hora de El progreso y el vehículo nos ha sorprendido con un desperfecto mecánico, tuvimos que esperar cerca de dos horas para poder encontrar un técnico automotríz que nos ayudara a solucionar el problema, eso volvió la jornada larga, pues debido a eso excedimos por cuatro horas lo planeado para la actividad. El elenco de la fragua regresó del viaje con un mayor grado de sensibilidad respecto a la crisis provocada por los huracanes, se sienten felices, pues han hecho un pequeño esfuerzo por alimentar el estómago de sus hermanos y hermanas afectados, y no solo para saciar el hambre, sino tambien para llenar el alma y el corazón entristecido de nuestro pueblo a través del arte. Tierra, aire, fuego, agua, ustedes y nosotros somos teatro la fragua.

English Version - November 26, 2020 #NoEstanSolos has been the hashtag promoted by the government in its digital campaigns to claim an image of solidarity at the international level, while thousands of Hondurans are organizing to bring aid to the areas affected by the hurricanes in the face of the abandonment of the government of Juan Orlando Hernández. The actors of la fragua don't have much to give, the economy of la fragua has declined enormously due to the fact that they cannot carry out presentations as a product of the pandemic. "Let's organize a collection," commented the Whatsapp group, "so that we can take a small snack to the flood victims. The next few days they began to respond, donating 100 lempiras and bread, the latter of which would serve as the main ingredient on the menu. Lizeth(Edy's wife) offered to prepare the meat, which the next morning the actors would use to prepare the snack that consisted of 200 sandwiches (which would take them two hours), at the same time, they decided to add to the activity a small presentation of Honduran stories, this would enrich the experience and bring some joy to the children and adults who could witness the presentation.

November 27, 2020 We have loaded the bus with all the equipment we need for the presentation, the community we are heading to is the village 36, of El negrito, Yoro, which has a large number of victims coming from Urraco pueblo, miller and Las cuarentas, places that are still flooded and forces its inhabitants to stay out of the area. We found a galley that is used to store vehicles that transport African palm fruit, and we could use it to improvise a stage to be able to carry out the presentation. Little by little the audience got closer, among them children, elderly people, mothers, fathers and curious young people, they went one by one taking their place in the space, at the same time we were giving the refreshments to each one of the assistants. The presentation was gaining strength as the actors and actresses gave their best, it was then when a rainstorm interrupted the harmony of the show, as we quickly had to cover the sound system with a couple of sheets that we found in the place to avoid it from going to waste. The presentation lasted about 40 minutes, a strong applause turned out to be the best payment for the effort of the cast today. With laughter, we left the audience and prepared everything to return to the bus and go home. We were an hour away from El progreso and the vehicle surprised us with a mechanical defect, we had to wait about two hours to find an automotive technician to help us solve the problem, that made the day long, because because of that we exceeded by four hours what was planned for the activity. The cast of la fragua returned from the trip with a greater degree of sensitivity to the crisis provoked by the hurricanes. They are happy because they have made a small effort to feed the stomach of their affected brothers and sisters, and not only to satisfy their hunger, but also to fill the saddened heart and soul of our people through art. Earth, air, fire, water, you and we are teatro la fragua.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 - The official statistics page has not been updated.

It rained all night and continued in the morning until about 10:00. No more rain after that but plenty of cold. It’s 70°F at the moment (6:30). This cold front is going to last three days. I don’t think the rain was enough to flood more. We had a show at 11:30 in the barrio Rivera Hernández of San Pedro Sula. I didn’t go, but they came back quite animated, that it really was a classic. The Rivera Hernandez is the hottest area of the murder capital of the world. I was really scared of doing it. But nobody was shot. La Prensa headlines that there are 92, 000 in shelters. They don’t explain where they get that figure. The great majority of those would be here in the valley: Tegucigalpa was not hit anywhere near as hard.

Wednesday, December 9, 2020 - 112, 175 cases, 2, 952 deaths.

It dawned overcast, but didn’t rain. In the mid-afternoon the clouds broke up and give the impression that the cold front is now history, although it was supposed to extend into tomorrow. Edy is working with the actors on a radio version of Navidad Nuestra. They will record it next week. It’s no surprise there are new migrant caravans forming. Two are announced in December, one in January (in Facebook).

Thursday, December 10, 2020 - The official statistics pages has not been updated. (They used to be much more faithful to that).

Overcast and cool in the morning; it cleared up a bit around noon, but then clouded over again in the afternoon. Not as cold but still jacket weather. One of the guys in our house, Daywing Duarte, tested positive a couple of days ago, so we all went for a test this morning. I was really nervous waiting for the results – they got to me via WhatsApp after about two hours. Negative. The actors continue working on the radio adaptation of Navidad Nuestra. The president, JOH, visited the site of the San Pedro Sula airport yesterday. He also promises it will be operating by the end of the year. I really doubt they are going to do that. A Caravan left from the San Pedro Sula Bus Terminal yesterday; as far as I can tell there are about 300 people. They reached the border with Guatemala today, and are being hassled by border patrol, who are demanding two different Covid tests, which of course people can’t pay for.

Friday, December 11, 2020 - 113, 207 cases, 2, 968 deaths.

It was sunny most of the day; hot sun, though it remained cool in the shade. Looks like the cold spell is history. (That was the prediction, giving the forecasters their due). Luis finished off a video today: a poem of Roberto Sosa (poet from Yoro whose work Edy dramatized very effectively last year), musicalized by our musician and composer Edilberto Gonzales, with shots of the destruction by Luis himself. It’s quite good. The new caravan is the first that is made up of those who lost everything: there is nothing material left that they can claim as their own. Radio Progreso has a reporter and cameraperson with them at the border. Not a few have brought with them the proof of Covid negativity. It seems that the authorities are letting them through with that. I haven’t heard what’s happening on the Guatemala side. The bulk of persons seems to be from the ex-banana camps to the north of Progreso, where they are still underwater. La Prensa headlines “Honduran president recognizes the support of the Southern Command of the United States.” They don’t go after his coca planes, I guess, only those of other cartels. They have to be getting their cut of the action. They’ve captured another one of the escaped prisoners of the jail who have been sheltered in the municipal gym. I think that leaves only one at large, but am not sure. Only the mobile hospital in San Pedro Sula is functioning. The other six remain in process. 47, 000, 000 DOLLARS, ¿Donde está el dinero?

Saturday, December 12, 2020 - Sunday, December 13, 2020 - 114, 043 cases, 2, 974 deaths.

A beautiful day, sunny but not too hot. Good drying-out weather. I haven’t been to San Pedro Sula for a goodly time. My lawyer friend Roger went yesterday to his office at the university. He reports that the road is quite slow (it’s a standard four-lane divided highway). Much of the time there is only one side allotted to vehicles; the other section is full of plastic tents and others who cannot yet go back to their houses. Where that is not true, there is often a huge accumulation of mud. Roger says that you go in to downtown San Pedro Sula and you wouldn’t know there is Covid or that there have been hurricanes; everybody is concentrated on Christmas shopping. And since the hurricanes, many people have left behind all the biosecurity measures. The prisoners who were sheltered in the gym of the Instituto Técnico Loyola have been taken back to the prison, which must have had a considerable wash-over. There were prisoners in the Municipal Gym as well, and in a couple of other places; no word on them.

Keep safe and wash your hands,

Jack

 

 

 

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