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The Arnoldo Herrera González Theater from Castella’s Conservatory, is located next to the Datsun-NISSAN Car Dealership in North Sabana, it is an exemplary educational institution, which seeks to belong to students, alumni, teachers, parents and the rest of the Castella community to provide a service to the wonderful country that feeds it with resources and the best people, and to the global community.

Arnoldo Herrera Theater, is the third largest theater in the country and for years it has given joy to students just like one more classroom from the Conservatory, and is also an art space for the people of Costa Rica.

Arnoldo Herrera González was a daily example for children and adolescents for over 43 years of effort, patience, delights and battles, of reinventing teaching as director Castella’s director.

When in 1953 he started the creation of an institution that bonded academic requirements with the artistic practice, few believed in the project. Thirty-eight years later, when his work was recognized with the Magón Award, approval was unanimous: Mr. Herrera deserved the award and more, and his students and alumni were assurance of it. As with other awards, we can list books, sculptures, paintings and compositions, the Arnoldo Herrera legacy allows a long list of illustrious graduates from Castella’s classrooms, all of them, in a kind of domino effect, have been teachers that multiplied and multiply Mr. Herrera’s teachings.

This conveying of feeling that Mr. Herrera practiced, he learned it in a household that promoted the expression of the senses, especially through the music. Son of composer Mariano Herrera and Catherine Gonzalez, from his early childhood began his musical instruction. At fifteen he was a music professor in Puntarenas and Tres Ríos and at 19 a scholarship enabled him to leave to Mexico, where he studied composition with Rodolfo Haffter and orchestra direction with Carlos Chaves.

Upon returning to Costa Rica in 1948, he led the National Symphony Orchestra, first as interim and then as a guest. At the same time, he started giving lessons in the Education Faculty at the University of Costa Rica, at the Normal School in Heredia and at Seminario High School. Many artists have had this inclination to education: almost none had undertaken as Herrera, the foundation of an institution like Castella.

Herrera recovered in 1953 the legacy of Carlos Millet de Castella, who donated 100 thousand colones and land, next to one side of La Sabana Park, the first facilities of the Castella were built. The main material was available: with the lessons the task began, by knowing how to reconcile the academic and artistic disciplines. Conciliation in freedom and in addition: forming inventive, critical, sensitive to the inner and outer self young people. That every boy or girl shall find “the bread that fits the size of their hunger, the shoe that fits”, he said later. Although it was an unusual project, crazy to many, the Education Minister at the time Uladislao Gámez authorized it and the “dream factory” became operational in 1954 with an initial enrollment of just 35 children. When Don Arnold died in 1996, inscription was over 1600 students, each of them a bit their son or daughter.

In addition to the immense work that was the establishment of Castella’s Conservatory, Arnoldo Herrera was orchestra director and a high value cultural promoter for the dissemination of the Costa Rican artistic music; he stood out as director of the Symphonic Orchestra of the National Radio and Television system from 1979, with which he completed 76 presentations. As founder and director of the National Opera in 1960, he led to a revival of the Costa Rican bel chant. Mr. Arnoldo Herrera died on March 4th, 1996.

Address: next to the Datsun-NISSAN Car dealership, in North Sabana, district: Mata Redonda, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10108.
GPS Coordinates: 9.938008,-84.099183 (9°56’16.83″N, 84°05’57.06″W)
Website: www.conservatoriodecastella.com
Phone:+(506) 2232-0265 / 2293 8334

Address map: Click here to view directions from Central Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO the Castella’s Conservatory Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica at Google Maps

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Abya Yala Theater, managed since its founding in 1991 by David Korish and Roxana Avila, it is an independent theater in Costa Rica, dedicated to creating original theatrical works. In addition to entertainment, providing entertainment and research spaces, teaching workshops, national and international conferences and seminars, it maintains an active role in field of fields of production and promotion of artistic and cultural activities in Costa Rica and Central America.

Abya Yala Theater has been awarded with the National Award for Best Theatrical Group in 1999, 2002 and 2006, as well as the Aquileo J. Echeverría prize in drama in 2002 for the play “Nos Esperamos”. Its original work “Sade” was Honorable Mention of the Uchimura Award of UNESCO in 2001.

The theater’s workshops are a service to communities, institutions, professional groups and performing arts amateurs. These workshops may involve the collaboration of other members of Abya Yala, according to the number of participants and needs of each workshop.

Besides David Korish and Roxana Avila, the Abya Yala Theater is currently comprised by Andrea Gómez, Oscar González, Janko Navarro, Grettel Méndez y Rolando Salas; together they maintain two types of work – entertaining and rehearsals that allow an integral, intense and personal development. Since 1996, the Abya Yala Theater has held three acting training and theatrical research labs, the first from 1996 to 1997, the second from 1997 to 2000 and the last from 2004 to present.

Address: at Colegio de Costa Rica towers in FANAL on 11th St., between 3rd. and 7th avenues, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.935742,-84.071708 (9°56’08.67″N 84°04’18.15″W)
Website: www.teatro-abyayala.org
Phone:+(506) 2297-1663

Address map: Click here to view directions from Central Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO the Abya Yala Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica at Google Maps

Mozart Theater is ideal for musical presentations and concerts. It is located 600 meters south of Tierras Colombianas (Colombian Lands) in San Francisco de Dos Ríos.

Address: district: San Francisco de Dos Ríos, canton: San José, province: San José, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10106.
GPS coordinates: 9.904312,-84.050583 (9°54’15.52″N, 84°03’02.10″W)
GPS coordinates for the San Francisco de Dos Ríos Church: 9.909922,-84.056383 (9°54’35.72″N, 84°03’22.98″W)
Phone: +506 22181402 / +506 2250-5959
Fax: +506 2250-5959

Address map: Click here to view directions from Central Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO Mozart Theater in San Francisco de Dos Ríos, San Jose, Costa Rica at Google Maps

Schedule:

Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. (Depending on the play, sometimes can be other functions in the afternoon or in the morning on weekends).

Telephones:

+506 2217-0905 / +506 2271-0910

Address:

Momentum Pinares Mall in Curridabat, district: Sanchez, canton: Curridabat, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 11803.
GPS Coordinates: 9.912007,-84.017527 (9°54’43.22″N, 84°01’03.09″W)

Website: www.teatroespressivo.com

Address map: Click here to view address map from Central Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO Espressivo Pinares Theater, San Jose, Costa Rica

The Espressivo Pinares Theater is the new theater in Costa Rica with high quality proposals for the whole family, located in the Momentum Pinares Mall in Curridabat, a place of artistic surprises in a comfortable, modern and safe place, with ample parking and in an easily accessible area.

Espressivo Pinares Theater is one of the few theaters that exist in the east of the capital, which offers works with great cultural and scenic content, designed to be enjoyed by the whole family, produced mostly by Terruño Espressivo, a cultural production of quality stage shows.

The history of Espressivo Pinares Theater began as a dream in the heart of its founder Steve Aronson, a visionary man, inlove of theater and passionate for Costa Rican coffee.

The first fruits of that dream took place in the headquarters of Café Britt in Heredia, in the year 2002, with the birth of Dionysus Theater (Teatro Dionisio in Spanish), in honor of the great theatrical producer Dionisio Echeverria. That was the first home of the producer Terruño Espressivo, and the birthplace of two works that toured Costa Rica: “El Nica” from Cesar Melendez and “La Mujer Que Cayó Del Cielo (The Woman Who Fell From The Sky)” from UBÚ Theater, the National Theater Company, SI Producers and the University Theater. Grew even more, but he saw the need for a larger own home, allowing them to bring new audiences . So, in August 2012, it was decided to give life to Espressivo Pinares Theater with the play “El Cuarto de Verónica” (Veronica’s Room).

The Espressivo Pinares Theater is an ideal space for all kinds of shows, both theater as dance, musical performances, film presentations, conferences, recitals, concerts, graduations, and any other event that requires modern facilities and technology in a comfortable and elegant space. It has a modern room with capacity for 260 persons, with air conditioning, the latest in audio, video and special equipments. Ask for the special event packages whether private, cultural, artistic, conferences, congresses, meetings of associations or labor unions, where you can rent the theater for large events, or rent their VIP room for private meetings specially equipped with Smart board, Video conference (Life Size), Apple access point and Apple TV, among others, in addition to coffee shop, first-class service and the latest technology.

The Espressivo Pinares Theater experience wouldn’t be complete without their gourmet coffee shop Pan-Chocolate-Café Espressivo, an unique space, located next to the theater, supplementing the performing arts with a passion for gourmet products. It is a space created for true coffee, chocolate, fresh artisan bread and craft beer lovers. Espressivo is expression, and their gourmet products, prepared with passion, for them are basically a way of making art.

Visit Espressivo Pinares Theater, have fun and expresse with us your passion for art and coffee.

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The School of Performing Arts (EAD in Spanish) was founded in 1968 within the Arts Faculty at the University of Costa Rica, thanks to the initiative of stage director and playwright Daniel Gallegos. However, in 1970 was when it achieved its consolidation. This initiative was supported by the General Secretary of the University of Costa Rica, Dr. Otto Jiménez Quirós and the Rector Carlos Monge Alfaro.

Throughout its history the EAD has been guided by different curricula, which has reflected the ideological, historical, technical and aesthetic concerns of the faculty, students needs, the labor market demands, and the evolution of theater in Costa Rica.

The founding of the University Theater (UT) in 1950 is one of the most important initial events of the national scene activity of the second half of the twentieth century. It was organized under the supervision of Spanish actors from the Lope de Vega Company. Soon after, Lucio Ranucci assumes direction and organizes a realitvely stable and young group. After a brief period of inactivity, the Costa Rican Jose Tassies is responsible for the direction, so that later, in 1963, it passes into the hands of the Costa Rican playwright and director Daniel Gallegos.

Since 1970, thanks to the founding of the School of Performing Arts, the University Theater mounts its plays with casts, mostly comprising students. It was reorganized in 1988 under the responsibility of the Dramatic Arts School, where currently you can enroll in the levels of Bachelor, degree and Masters in Performing Arts.

Some of the foreign teachers, actors and directors who have worked at the UT are: Donald Wadley and William Oliver of United States; Atahualpa del Cioppo, Júver Salcedo, Juan Jones, Lilian Olhagaray and Mario Aguerre from Uruguay; Stoyan Vladich from Peru; and Mohsen Yasseen from Iraq. They brought their expertise into the professionalization of the University Theater.

UT defines itself as a center of theater production, creation and experimentation, and an as active element that participates in the historical evolution of it’s society. It’s a professional theater in the sense that it assumes its artistic duty with the responsibility and ethics of those who practice it as a way of life and as a job. It is an experimental theater because it stimulates searching for new forms of theatrical expression and the transformation and renewal of language stage, taking risks, in the ideological, aesthetic and technical aspects, always looking to raise questions about the cultural identity of the Costa Rican people.

In addition, it aims to bring director, teachers and guests from abroad. It also has the mission to spread the art of theater among the social sectors that don’t have access to theater in the metropolitan area.

The theater has done more than 151 stage productions from Costa Ricans, Latin Americans, U.S.A. and Europeans authors. These productions have won national awards in various years: 44 for students, graduates and debutantes, and 50 for teachers from the Dramatic Arts School and theater productions, and in 1994, it received the National Award for Best Group and Best Scenic Production, in 1997 the National Award as Best Director and Best actress, in 1999 for Best Director. Their productions have made national and international tours and participated in conferences and festivals throughout America and Europe.

The Sol Theater is sponsored by the University Theater and its activities are directed by a committee composed of students and graduates of the Dramatic Arts School. The Sol Theater (Sun theater) is born in 1997 thanks to the initiative of the Board of Directors of the Students Association of Performing Arts, with the goal to offer a new alternative to theater in Costa Rica.

Its creation comes to support performers, directors, musicians, scene technicians, and later authors, seeking to become a collective generator of new values in the theater movement in Costa Rica, since it is an “Experimental Workshop” for students and graduates of the Dramatic Arts School.

Address: At the University of Costa Rica Arts School, district: San Pedro, canton: Montes de Oca, provincia: San José, Costa Rica. Código postal de la zona: 11501.
GPS Coordinates: 9.936456,-84.047961 (9°56’11.24″N, 84°02’52.66″W)
Website: www.teatro.ucr.ac.cr
Phone:+(506) 2207-4095

Address map: Click here to view directions from Central Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO the University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica at Google Maps

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The Giratablas Theater is an alternative space, which since 1997 houses proposals from independent groups of various artistic styles, including shows from the Giratablas Theater group.

The theater distinguishes for its constant professional programming of innovative performances, from both experienced and new talents, especially in the field of theatrical art. Here are also developed activities related to dance, music, literature, visual art and video. It has a stage of 36 m² and capacity for 90 spectators. In Giratablas Theater you can enjoy contemporary classical and experimental plays, from both universal and Costa Rican authors. The short seasons of the groups allow the viewer to enjoy during the year a variety of proposals.

In these 15 years of uninterrupted programming at the Giratablas Theater, more than 1500 national and international artists and over 300 groups have presented. Giratablas Cultural Association is an alternative cultural space that provides to both the physical and human planes, different areas for the development of initiatives in the area of cultural management and stage production.

The Giratablas Theater encourages projects that emerge from civil society, not only for the benefit of a large group of artists, but also to support research, production and artistic training. The option to implement projects of social interest through its association is made possible thanks to the mode of working as a counterpart with organizations and institutions with shared objectives.

Functions for adults are regularly scheduled Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and Sundays at 6 pm. For the whole family and especially for the smallest ones, the Children’s Theater program is on Sundays at 11 am and 2 pm. The Giratablas Theater is located diagonal to KFC in Barrio La California.

Address: Diagonal to KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), Barrio La California, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.932014,-84.064844 (9°55’55.25″N, 84°03’53.44″W)
Phone:+(506) 2253-6001

Address map: Click here to view directions from Central Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO the Giratablas Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica at Google Maps

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Built in 1892 as a theater and started working as a movie theater from 1920, projecting back then silent films and nowadays is still active, making it the oldest theater in San José. In 1999 it was declared Historic Architectural Heritage. The Municipality of San José wants to buy it to use it as the Municipal Theater. The theater has witnessed all sorts of cultural and social events throughout its history.

In August 1890, the Spanish businessman, Tomás Garita, began the construction of a new theater building, inaugurated in 1891 under the name “Variedades Theater” (Varieties Theater) with 384 seats. Its facade was decorated with images of dance, theater, lira, as well as masks and dragons. For the inauguration, the featured presentation was the French opera “La Mascota” (The Mascot) by Edouard Audran and by the Fajardo Vazcona company of Spanish Zarzuela and Operetta.

Once built the National Theater, the Variedades Theater functioned as an alternative to this. Costa Rica did not have a theatrical culture and that’s why the National Theater attracted a little public, while the presentations of zarzuelas at the Variedades Theater sold out. Artistic presentations that couldn’t be presented at the National theater for space reasons, were mounted at the Variedades.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s, the Variedades Theater gave significant space to social, cultural and politicalevents of the then burgeoning Costa Rican society. Presentation of silent movies began in 1906, together with zarzuelas and plays, becoming one of the most important cultural spots in the capital, as audience was very diverse, given the characteristics of the different shows that housed.

Its walls and three floors of seats, were the first to hear on June 10th, 1906, the powerful voice of the national tenor Manuel “Melico Salazar”. Beginning in the twenties, the Variedades Theater was devoted to the cinema. In November 1930, the theater projected the first Costa Rican film, “El Retorno” (The Return), directed by the Italian Romolo Bertoni and produced by Mario Urbini, owner of the theater at that time.

The theater was declared Architectural Heritage of Costa Rica, according to Executive Decree No. 28249-C, published in La Gaceta No. 232 on November 30th, 1999. Currently owned by the Leasing Company S.A., the theater remains projecting movie films, but several upgrades have been made to have the same technology in sound and image as the modern cinema malls. In recent years, there have been some activities such as the Costa Rican Film Festival, plays, concerts with groups like Malpais or the Nicaraguan Perrozompopo and other cultural activities and comedy shows such as “La media docena” (The half-dozen), among others.

The municipality of San José, has raised the idea of acquiring the property to make the Municipal Theater, and give a permanent place to the newly created “San Jose Theater Company”. If this goal becomes a reality, San José would have three big theaters, the beautiful National Theater, the grandiose Melico Salazar and the most ancient of the three, the Variedades Theater, which would end up turning San José into an icon of the Latin American theatrical culture.

Address: On 5 St., between central and 1st avenues, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.934417,-84.076322 (9°56’3.90″N 84°4’34.76″W)
Website: www.teatrovariedades.com
Phone:+(506) 2222-6108

Address map: Click here to view directions from Central Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO the Variedades Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica at Google Maps

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Torres theater is recognized not only for being the only theater with VIP, but also for specializing in customer satisfaction. Under the leadership of the beloved actress Maria Torres, remembered for her work on the television program “Caras Vemos”, alongside with Marcia Saborío. Now she works with great success setting world renown plays in her own theater. For Torres, the opening of her own theater, in 2003, has been the greatest experience of her career as an actress.

The theater has capacity for 153 people, 133 of which will be comfortably seated in the audience and 20 in what has been designated as the VIP lounge (for very important people), this is an area which has armchairs with two places and tables, bathroom and is the only place in the theater where you can consume liquor and food during the function.

“We want this space to be open to the public from Monday to Monday with alternative theater, forums, dance, concerts and music. Also, the Torres Theater offers the potential to make presentations, force sales events and special business events. It will also conduct makeup seminars and theater courses for adults and children”, said the actress.

The theater has a Home Teather sound with eight speakers. For the opening, Torres began assembling the stage with the play “Tras de palo, cuernos”, the first one she wrote 14 years ago.

In addition, from October 2009, Torres opened a new theater: the Torres Theater 2, also in San Jose, and as well promoted by the Valverde Torres Productions company. This theater has bathrooms and special seats for disabled people, 132 seats in the pit and 20 preferential (VIP) with the latest technology. Furthermore, as a novelty, the new theater made available to the public a childcare service, which has closed circuit monitoring and capacity for ten children.

This center will provide care for both theaters and was born because “many parents stopped going to see plays because they didn’t have trustworthy people to take care of their children to attend functions,” said Johanna Valverde, co-owner of the project.

Torres Theater is located 175 west of the Santa Rita clinic or from La Casa del Tornillo at Paseo de los Estudiantes, 125m east, next to the Musical Parking in San José, and Torres Theater 2 is located in 8 Avenue, also in San José.

Address: in 8 Av., between 11 and 13 St., district: Catedral, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10104.
GPS Coordinates: 9.930192,-84.073858 (9°55’48.69″N, 84°04’25.89″W)
Schedule: From Thursday to Sunday at 8 pm.
Phone:+(506) 2256-4295 / 2258-6078

Address map: Click here to view directions from La Sabana Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO the Torres Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica.