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Walking Cuba: El Camino del Cimarron
Ciego Montero-Part 2: Talking Shit to the People
The theatre, next door to La Casona, is also one of the most popular public spaces in town. The director, introducing himself at the door, explained how every day some event takes place within these walls, be it a film or a poetry reading, a dance or a musical performance. Always free and open to the public. This afternoon the theatre had one of its rare closings because of a presentation in my honor. The Grupo Folklorico, a group of dancers and musicians, practitioners of Afro-Cuban religion, who live in town, are scheduled to perform for me and my friends. He leads me inside.
The theatre reminded me of the small movie house in Gainesville, Georgia where I would escape to see the lives of others. It was a good place to be by oneself without feeling alone. There I saw Romeo and Juliet and fell in love with Oliva Hussey and found out that I could cry to Shakespeare as the soundtrack by Henry Mancini made me feel the very loneliness I was trying to escape. Memories of those times seem to teleport randomly to wherever I am and stand in front of me, waiting to be bumped into.
The ticket booth out front is flanked by two doors which open to the semi-circle walkway that leads to the right and left of the large sitting area in the middle. The seats, hard and folding tight against the…
