Rosa Escrig, a renowned playwright, director, and actress from Gran Canaria, has been nominated in the Best Emerging Author category for the Max Awards for Performing Arts for her play 'Polígono'. The work, inspired by the neighborhood movement in Jinámar during the 1980s, is seen by Escrig as a "collective recognition" for everyone involved in the production.
The artist described the nomination as a "milestone" and "an award for the entire team," emphasizing the participation of residents from Jinámar. The awards ceremony, organized by SGAE, will take place on June 1st at the Roman Theatre of Mérida. Competing in the same category are Elisa Forcano for 'Zorra Dorada' and Iván López-Ortega for 'Taxidermia de una alondra'.
Escrig confessed that she hadn't fully considered the significance of the nomination until recently, but now considers it a "privilege" that she is "enjoying immensely." The 'Polígono' team, known as the "poligoneros y poligoneras," will attend the ceremony in the Extremaduran city.
The creator, co-founder of La Escrig Producciones, pointed out the irony that her most local proposal, 'Polígono', which addresses urban speculation affecting vulnerable populations, has received this national recognition. "As a Canary Islands artist, I've always looked towards Madrid, and just when I decide to write a play about a neighborhood nearby, everything explodes," she stated.
However, Escrig lamented the "almost impossible" task of securing performance dates for 'Polígono' in the Canary Islands, despite its success and impact. "I don't know what's happening. 'Polígono' has been performed in Tenerife and very recently in Fuerteventura. It hasn't visited the other islands," she explained, adding that "if it's not a comedy or a children's show, touring the islands is complicated."
The playwright, who manages the project as a freelancer and balances production with her family life and other jobs, expressed the need for a dedicated distribution person to improve the situation. "You premiere it, and that's about it," she concluded regarding the reality of contemporary theater on the islands.
Escrig highlighted that the creative process of 'Polígono', which involved two years of gathering testimonies in Jinámar and overcoming initial institutional distrust due to its social focus, revealed a "new way of doing things" that she wishes to continue. "I need to be accompanied by many people, even if it's financially challenging," she said about shared creation.
