Share

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Tweet Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on WhatsApp

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

Mar del Plata is an ambiguous city. By day, the sun shines on the beach, and by night, the pedestrian streets burst with life, offering a variety of theatrical and street performances. Far removed from the fleeting media scandals of the season, far from the theatrical blockbusters, the big-name stars, and their lavish, heterogeneous productions, Mar del Plata also boasts less flamboyant works and productions conceived from a perspective of diversity. 

Some are renowned actors and actresses in this city, where they work year-round, preparing for the arrival of tourists. Others come from elsewhere. They dream and work hard to share their art. They are often applauded and enjoyed by our LGBTQ+ community at the various events throughout the year where we celebrate and celebrate each other: Pride marches, festivals, and feminist events. 

In the midst of the season, they too are part of Mar del Plata's theatrical offerings, proposing an alternative, less capitalist and more self-managed. The drag queens, the transvestites, the trans people are there, every summer night, stealing a smile as they pass by, like showgirls between traffic lights. They know how to put on a show from the ground up, through sheer hard work and dedication. They know that filling a theater requires activism through humor, street performance, and laughter. 

How do you make the periphery the center again? They do it with art every night. And I do it by writing. Together we know that if we hug each other, the cold won't get in.    

READ MORE: A play about trans love

False identity

Flavio Gonzalo shines. He's a drag queen, actor, comedian, and from Mar del Plata. He describes his shows as "entertainment for the whole family."

“I started when I was 16, when I left home and met a drag queen. One day she told me she needed me for a show. I told her, ‘ No way .’ She insisted so much that when I dressed as a woman, I absolutely loved it. I looked so good that I kept working the following weekend, and I’ve never been able to stop doing this since. My shows put food on my table,” Flavio says. “This is what I like and love.”

At first, my family said, "Ugh, the faggot," and all sorts of other things. Everyone was against it, except my mom. She was always by my side, then my brothers started supporting me, and finally, my dad. When he saw my show, and that I came out dressed as a woman, looking splendid as always, and that throughout the performance I gradually removed my makeup and ended up looking like a man, that's when he saw that I was an actor. And my dad was an actor when he was young. So in the end, he accepted me, and today he's very proud of me. My whole family is proud, from my nephews to my 22-year-old son, whom I love. He comes to all my shows. 

The show is called “False Identity.” It’s a musical and stand-up comedy show. “My partner Uriel Vega accompanies me, doing comedy,” Flavio says.

Flavio's shows received several awards in the Mar del Plata theater circuit. Among others, he received the Faro de Oro, Gaviota Federal, and Sexto Sentido awards.

This year, Flavio is nominated again for the Faro de Oro awards for this work. "I'm super happy to be living and working in Mar del Plata during the summer." 

Every night Flavio checks his schedule to see where he's scheduled to perform his show: you can find him in bars or at the Mar del Plata casino. 

My way

Another show that captivates and enthralls audiences on the pedestrian walkways is "My Way," a completely trans/travesti play aimed at the entire community. Karina Figueroa is one of the stars of this production, which features twenty transvestites and trans people on stage. The actress is from the city of San Nicolás de los Arroyos. "For the past six years, I've had the opportunity to come and perform in Mar del Plata and showcase trans talent to tourists, giving visibility to the community in general."

Many of the girls who are part of A mi manera, like Karina, left their homes in December to come and work the season on the Mar del Plata coast. 

 “The theater is a place of inclusion for transvestite and trans people. I am deeply grateful to Roberto Kirchoff and Antonio Nardini, my producers, for trusting in and supporting diversity. And for giving me and my colleagues the opportunity to have a rewarding work experience. But above all, for the opportunity to demonstrate to society that the community can occupy different jobs.”

Ar/Tv trans: building rights from theatre

My Way has daily performances every night at 11 PM at the Auditorium of the Pedestrian Mall (San Martín 2236). Tickets cost $300 per person, and children under 12 enter free.