San José

Haga click en el siguiente enlace para leer está página en Español: Teatro Arlequín de Costa Rica

In 1972 the Arlequín (Harlequin) Theater was reaffirmed as one of the most important theater groups in Costa Rica. Its first work was “La vida es un sueño” (Life is a dream). Later, that same year, the group announced the construction of their own “Chamber Hall”. As the first offering at its new home, the production of the Arlequín presented “The Toothbrush” (El Cepillo de Dientes) by Jorge Diaz, which was a full success night after night.

The theater enjoyed a great year in 1973. The main groups of all programs, set up and provided the public with a variety of options worthy of praise. During 143 days, of 194 days of the season, the new Arlequín Theater stayed busy. Almost 10,000 performances to see five of its productions were shown through the small Arlequín Theater scene.

Since in 1973, Arlequín was kept busy with the opening of six plays, including “The ginecomaquia” (La ginecomaquia) or “The Struggle of Women” (La lucha de las mujeres) by the Mexican author Hugo Hiriart. For 1975, the Arlequín theater had managed a repertory that included more than 15 plays.

Perhaps this is the most important theater group of the country with over 250 shows, its permanence and continuity has helped start a theater with a tradition of high quality drama for the benefit of Costa Rica.

For reservations: call from Friday to Sunday after 12pm.
Address: on 13 street, between central and 2nd avenues, district: Catedral, canton: San José, province: San José, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10104.
GPS Coordinates: 9.932994,-84.073081 (9°55’58.78″N, 84°4’23.09″W)
Phone:+506 2221-5485

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

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Haga click en el siguiente enlace para leer está página en Español: Teatro Oscar Fessler (Taller Nacional de Teatro) de Costa Rica

Suppose you love theater and want to learn acting. However, you need to work on the day and can’t study at a university where all courses are at night, or perhaps you don’t want to devote exclusively to the acting profession, 30 years ago there wasn’t an institution that could fulfill these specific needs in Costa Rica, that’s why the birth of the National Workshop Theater (TNT in Spanish) was so important, an institution under the management of the Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ in Spanish).

The teacher Oscar Fessler (1912-1996) was the first director of the institution. Currently, the management of the TNT is in the hands of Melvin Mendez, actor and playwright with a recognized career in Costa Rica, as well as professor of the institution.

One of the most important aspects of the institution is its methodology, which considers teamwork essential and promotes a positive attitude in students. The simple fact of being admitted in the institution, entitles to a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, therefore students don’t need to pay for their training. This benefit is paid back with community improvement projects. Annually, advocacy work and workshops are performed at schools, prisons and community groups. Within this framework, there is also a workshop for police officers, which gives them theater tools to learn how to deliver different messages to the boys and girls thwith which they work at schools.

Guido Sáenz, the Minister of Culture at the time the workshop was created, remembers that, due to the big success that the youth program created in 1972 had, he considered that there should be a place where people were formed in theater, without the need for it to be a college career. Thanks to the Catania family he learned about the existence of the master Oscar Fessler, who lived in Argentina.

Thanks to Saenz, the teacher came to Costa Rica in order to create the new institution.. In fact, the theater institution now bears his name. Saenz remembers him as “a man of theater, deep, wise, kind and very knowledgeable.”

Since its creation, TNT has had six directors: Oscar Fessler (1977 to 1980), Gladys Catania (1980 to 1997), Luis Fernando Gómez (1997-2002), Eugenia Chaverri (2002-2004), Arnoldo Ramos (2004-2006 ) and Melvin Mendez, since 2007.

The profile of those studying at the National Theater Workshop is mixed. There are many people coming from other theater schools, with interest to specialize even more. Furthermore, most people work during the day and attend the TNT from 5 to 10 pm. Part of the students are professionals in other areas, which are not only interested in pursuing theater. From the TNT creation until today, the institution has graduated around 400 people.

Besides the formation time that each generation receives, the institution also offers the workshops mentioned above, as well as workshops for the application of theatrical techniques in educational, social and recreational programs. For graduates and professionals in the theatrical field, training spaces are also planned with Costa Rican and foreign teachers.

Another benefit is the space from the Escalante Theater, which has the support from the Spanish Cultural Center. Through it four plays are created each year at the Oscar Fessler Theater.

Address: From the Santa Teresita Church in Barrio Escalante 200mts North and 25 east, OR from El Farolito 75mts west, on 13th Avenue, between 25th and 31st streets, district: Carmen, canton: San José, province: San José, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.937419,-84.065608 (9°56’14.71″N, 84°3’56.19″W)
Phone:+506 2221-1273

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

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Haga click en el siguiente enlace para leer está página en Español: Auditorio Nacional de Costa Rica

The National Auditorium is located inside the Children’s Museum (Former Central Prison) in downtown San José.

The theater of the National Auditorium is one of the most versatile for performing arts and all kinds of special events. The National Gallery is the most ample space in the country for visual and plastic arts, always full of avant-garde proposals. The youth complex is constantly developing ideas for young people, plus it will house the Historic Prison Museum to reconstruct the history of the Former Central Penitentiary in a modern and dynamic way.

Since its foundation, the National Auditorium has provided a suitable stage for all performing arts because it has a modern lighting system and an acoustic shell with the ability to send an almost natural sound to all 526 seats in less than a second.

For it’s design, location, satellite multimedia, orchestra pit and the possibility of simultaneous translation into four languages, this architectural gem is the best auditorium option in the country.

The auditorium presents classical music, national and international concerts, beauty contests, audiovisual presentations, conferences, seminars, scientific and cultural congresses, and plays that complement formal education in Costa Rica.

Address: Children’s Museum, district: Merced, canton: San José, province: San José, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10102.
GPS Coordinates: 9.940364,-84.080258 (9°56’25.31″N, 84° 4’48.93″W)
Phone:+506 2222-7647

Address map: Click here to view directions from Central La Sabana, San Jose, Costa Rica TO the Costa Rica National Auditorium in San Jose, Costa Rica.

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Address: On 2nd Av., between Central and 2nd St., district: Catedral, canton: San José, province: San José, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10104.
GPS Coordinates: 9.933158,-84.079311 (9°55’59.37″N, 84° 4’45.52″W)
Telephone: +506 2233-5424, +506 2233-5172.
Website: www.teatromelico.go.cr

Attention Schedule:
From Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.

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

Dedicated to the memory of the great tenor Manuel Salazar Zúñiga or Melico Salazar, whose performances in New York’s City Music Hall and the Scala Theater in Milan, to name a few world culture centers, showed the world the potential of the Costa Rican artist. His golden voice led him to be recognized worldwide, with performances across America and Europe. His last years were spent in Costa Rica, dedicated to teaching his passion, music.

The idea of creating the Melico Salazar Theater came from the Spanish born José Raventós, that to accomplish his dream of being able to play zarzuelas and operettas, decided to buy a land in San José and use it for the construction of the existing theater. José Fabio Garnier Ugalde, playwright and architect, was the person who designed the theater. Construction began on February 8, 1927, and ended with the opening on October 7, 1928 with the representation from the Operetta Society by Esperanza Iris. In 1960 a new gallery was added, which also included a new cinemascope screen.

Some seven years later, in 1967, during the early morning of April 23, a fire destroyed the building. Early in the seventies, the Ministry of Culture and Youth, came up with the idea of buying the theater to renew it, which achieves at a later time. In December 1981 there is a preopening of the theater, but soon after, public access is closed to complete the restoration. The reopening was in March 6, 1985, and in April 7 of the following year, the official government newspaper, “La Gaceta”, announced the law 7023, that gave the Melico Salazar’s theater the position of “specialized cultural institution” of the Costa Rican state.

Its architectural beauty sets the trend in the Baroque style, surrounded by Corinthians pilasters, which enhances the Melico Salazar Theater prominences that adorn its facade. It consists of four levels with stall seats, boxes and the gallery.

At present the Melico Salazar Theater is the popular culture forum in the country, which is complemented by numerous theaters and art galleries, public and private, permanently offering its collection to the national public and, particularly to the capital’s people. Hence, it is one of the most important artistic representations of the country, where high-level performances in the disciplines of theater, dance, multicultural events, classical, traditional and contemporary demonstrations are presented.

Address: 2nd Av., between 3rd and 5th St., district: Catedral, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10104.
GPS Coordinates: 9.932914,-84.077389 (9°55’58.49″N, 84°4’38.60″W)
Website: www.teatronacional.go.cr

Telephones:
Office +506 2221-5341
Tourism +506 2221-1329 ext. 217
Administration +506 2221-1329 ext. 217
Foundation +506 2222-5716 and +506 2221-1329 ext. 234
Coffee +506 2221-1329 ext. 250
WebMaster +506 2221-1329 ext. 231

Schedule:
Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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

Built in 1890, of the purest classical style Renaissance architecture, with marble brought from Italy and decorated with bucolic scenes from coffee harvesting, the National Theater is the highest cultural forum in Costa Rica, located in the heart of the capital. The building model is from the famous Opera in Paris. It was opened in 1897 with the performance of “Faust.” Through it’s scenery it has seen most of the major theater companies who have visited Latin America, and renowned artists and classical music orchestras.

According to history, the theater was built thanks to the lyrical singer Adelina Patti, who refused to perform in San José for the lack of a proper theater, as due to a series of earthquakes that struck the country in 1888 and ended with the Municipal Theater.

The construction of a new theater to the people appears as a choice of entertainment for youth and at the same time, a temple of learning. Consequently, the Government tried to reopen the Municipal Theater, which was impossible for security reasons, and had the project postponed for a year and a half more. To achieve the financing for the construction, several measures were taken, either through the lottery, voluntary contribution and the contribution of the State. It was not until the dismayed coffee producers, decided to begin building a European-style theater. Created a cultural special tax for each bag of coffee exported in order to finance the cost of construction, and well, seven years of hard work later, the theater was completed. The National Theater opening attracted the Costa Rican society in dress suit.

A century after constructed, careful care is still taken, to complete this job it has a national workshop of masons, some of them direct descendants of those involved in its construction. Being a legitimate pride in Costa Rica, it has been supplemented by the “Plaza de la Cultura”, annexed, with art exhibition galleries, cultural conferences, of wide and modern design, particularly in contrast with the classic modernist style of the National Theater.