Is it possible to cure blindness with music?: “Los ojos”, the work that explores the world through sounds

“There is no worse blind than the one who does not want to see”, is the phrase that perfectly describes the events of “The eyes”, a work in which sounds take on a more prominent role than images, and where the most rationalist realism confronts the hope of a cure that escapes the usual conventions. Inspired by the novel by Benito Pérez Galdós “Marianela” and the perspective of the playwright Pablo Messiez, this new adaptation seeks to distinguish itself from the others.

“Instead of focusing on the visual elements, we focus on the sound experience, adding several layers of depth that reveal the reality of the blind through sounds.”, comments the director Martín Guerra, who reveals another reason behind the changes made. “By taking this approach, we also wanted to make the experience more intimate for our audience.”, he adds.

Another striking change, in addition to changing the town from Spain to Peru, is the selection of the soundtrack made by the director of the work, which is composed entirely of Brazilian sambas that become very relevant as the plot progresses. “Although the original work has other types of songs, they are not one of the main focuses. The initial premise may seem somewhat absurd ―Werra confesses― but I think there is nothing better than Brazilian music to counteract the intensity of restlessness with something that can only be called: saudade”.

The facility to carry out these modifications to the original work are not forced elements that mismatch with the bases on which the entire staging is built, but rather a natural transition. “There is something in the original text that feels very contemporary, it is as if it were a bridge that is easy to cross, since we are not talking about a work by Chekhov or Calderón de la Barcacomments the director Martín Guerra, although he acknowledges that the classics remain over time because they touch on timeless themes that today can be found in societies such as Peru, Brazil or Spain.

Ulterior motives

The work is full of symbolism, such as the presence of religious figures and distinctive elements that reveal the personalities of the characters without providing direct clues to their individual pasts. “Our purpose is to analyze the situations present in this work, create moments that provoke reflections in the public and encourage them to seek justifications for the actions they take.”, comments the director, who chose the actors Brian Cano, Lucía Caravedo, Alejandra Guerra and Daniela Trucíos for this adaptation because of their proximity to the characters.

Even the stage does not escape this resource, since it is built in an unfinished way. “This is so because when looking back one would not be able to recognize oneself, nor would one recognize the things that were ahead in those moments of intensity, when everything was half-understood, fragmented and in constant contradiction.”, explains Guerra.

The work is full of moments of contrasting values, ideas and feelings, but also meeting points that do not always end well. In addition, there are scenes that oscillate between comedy, drama and the blindness of all the characters, who to a greater or lesser extent are unable to see because they do not want to or are unaware of the impact of their decisions. “This is something for people who like details, building complex things through gestures and simple details.”, he concludes.