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A quarter century after it’s creation, La Máscara Theater (The Mask theater) continues active and setting the pace in the performing arts in our country, being Bernal García Segura not just a co-founder, but also professor and director.

In addition to its high acting level novelty proposals, this theatrical institution also provides a range of courses so that all people have the opportunity to discover the actor inside.

To learn how to act is necessary to approve the four levels required by the curriculum that La Máscara Theater has prepared, with a duration of one year for each level. The first year is devoted to introduce students in the art of acting, through classroom practice, which helps to verify and measure the potential of each student.

The second level is the first assembly of a play for each student to feel the adrenaline and strengthen their talents in the stage.

In the third year, students undertake a work of magical realism where they have a very active role, because it teaches to write and perform the installation themselves, under the direction of García, the theater’s director.

Finally on the fourth level, and as a final test, students will have the opportunity to make a classic, contemporary or universal montage, which will be presented to the public on the stage of La Máscara Theater. At this level they wil also seek for new talent, that besides having acting skills, can manage the overall direction of the staging, because it will be on their hands.

For García, an actor is not formed with a course, and must be prepared to spend several months training to achieve a good level, with hard work and study, that’s why the dynamic is prepared in a manner where with the process it can be debugged and ensure the quality of teaching. One requirement is to be over 15 years and to have the disposition. Registration for these action courses are opened regularly, the groups do not exceed 12 people at most, to ensure quality and personalized attention at each of the classes.

La Máscara Theater is located diagonal to Flor de Lyz Hotel, 100m west and 25m south of Mi Tierra restaurant, in San José, Costa Rica.

Address: on 13th St., between 2nd and 4th Av., district: Catedral, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10104.
GPS Coordinates: 9.931911,-84.0728 (9°55’54.88″N, 84°04’22.08″W)
Schedule: From Friday to Sunday at 8 p.m. onwards
Phone:+(506) 2222-4574

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

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This small theater was founded by a group of independent artists. The idea behind the creation of this theater was to provide a forum for presenting original works from Costa Rica. Today, this theater offers a variety of functions each week, usually with a satirical humor related to the Costa Rican society.

The theater offers a small Café where you can enjoy a delicious Costa Rican coffee during the intermission.

Address: next to Mas x Menos supermarket on Central Av., between 11 and 15 St., district: Carmen, canton: San José, province: San José, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.933506,-84.073711 (9°56’00.62″N, 84°04’25.36″W)
Schedule: From Thursday to Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Phone:+506 2233-2170

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

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La Aduana (Customs) Theater frequently presents and organizes dances and plays, and it is also the home of the National Theater Company. It is now temporarily in the building assets of the Former Customs, which until recently operated the offices of the National Institute of Housing and Urban Development (INVU in Spanish).

The reason for moving the theater and offices of the CNT (National Theater Group) is the beginning of the restoring process of the heritage buildings of the “Casa del Cuño”, where the theater operates. This new hall will be used for a short period, because we trust that the company releases its new theater in February 2010.

Both the size of the stage, as the amount of space available to the public in the temporary theater will be similar or even with more capacity than the available at La Aduana Theater. The plays that will be presented in this temporary place will be: “Figueroa” by Jorge Arroyo and the winner of the contest of the CNT.

Address: Behind Fercori, in Barrio La California, between 7 and 9 Av., 25 St., district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.934578,-84.066781 (9°56’4.48″N, 84°04’00.41″W)
Phone:+506 2257-8305

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

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José Joaquín Vargas Calvo Theater is a small theater in the capital. It is under the direction of Jody Steiger, the National Theater director, which is as well the entity responsible for its production.

Address: on 5th street, between central and 2 Av., district: Catedral, canton: San José, province: San José, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10104.
GPS Coordinates: 9.933264,-84.076586 (9°55’59.75″N, 84°04’35.71″W)
Schedule: From Monday to Wednesday
Phone:+506 2222-1875

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

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Dance in Costa Rica has achieved a high development in recent years that claims to assert it’s presence within the government structures with an effective institutional response to address the many expectations from the industry and an active presence in society, which allows the Costa Rican citizens to have easier access to culture, an active participation in the development of their creative capacities, a direct contact with the new trends and a constant research of their own expressions.

The National Dance Company (CND in Spanish) is a cultural institution, created under Executive Order 10187-C, on July 10th, 1979. Since January 1st, 2000 it’s governed by the Executive Order No. 27991-C, as a program of the Melico Salazar Theater, both under the Ministry of Culture and Youth.

From it’s incorporation to the Melico Salazar Theater, all it’s processes are adjusted accordingly to Melico’s, allowing greater coordination between both institutions.

Covered under the theme you are part of the movement, the CDA is articulated through the following programs:

National and international tours:
In coordination with national and international institutions it does presentations in different regions of the country and internationally. The presented choreographs are proposals for repertoire.

Urban Area:
With national agencies, it does research projects on our popular and folk dances, which culminates with a show where modern dance echoes life in Costa Rica. This program seeks to explore the configuration of the city and the regions of Costa Rica through the imagination of humans who inhabit it.

Creative Encounter:
Production consists of interdisciplinary research, where it is intended that dance, music, poetry and drama mix as a whole production coordinated with agencies, companies and artists of international renown.

Independent Contact:
The movement of independent dance now represents a tuning fork through which the various artistic trends and searches in Costa Rica vibrate. Free of shackles of political or ideological order, it develops a pioneering work in the global art movement. The IC (Independent Contact) is a network, open and responsive to the creative forces of the independent movement of dance in Costa Rica. This is articulated through:
* Professional meetings and regular classes for independent dancers
* Infrastructure
* Production and Co-productions
* Movement of artists

To achieve the greatest impact on Costa Rican culture, it relies on partnerships with institutions related to dance, as well as other national and international independent agencies. The National Dance Company is supported by the administrative departments of the Costa Rica’s Ministry of Culture and Youth.

Address: CENAC, Former National Liquor Factory, on 11th St., between 3rd ad 7th avenues, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.935883,-84.073328 (9°56’09.18″N, 84°04’23.98″W)
Phone:+506 2222-2974 / +506 2257-5524

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

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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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