Theater – «The Last President»
Theatre — The Last President at the Pérez Galdós Theatre, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
‘The Last President’ is not a biography, but a sensory journey into the mind of Juan Negrín López. In the throes of the Second Republic, the play explores the solitude of power of the last president of the Government of the Second Spanish Republic and the fracture of exile through a mutable stage space and live music. An exercise in memory that transforms history into an intimate experience to question our present.
Included within the Music and Literature Cycle, the play ‘The Last President’, directed by Nacho Cabrera and produced by the Pérez Galdós Theatre and La República, addresses the figure of Juan Negrín, moving away from the conventional biographical portrait to focus on the moral dilemma of a scientist and humanist forced to govern amidst collapse.
‘The Last President’ delves into the mind of Juan Negrín in the final days of a defeat that was not only military, but ethical and moral. The play constructs an inner journey through the conscience of a man trapped between historical responsibility, the solitude of power, and exile.
Through literary word, live music by Yul Ballesteros, and a constantly transforming metallic set design, the play explores the solitude of power, the weight of irreversible decisions, and ethical commitment in the face of barbarism. The Civil War, exile, and major historical episodes are shown as emotional fractures that traverse the character. Negrín appears as a man of reason confronted with unreason, trapped between public responsibility and his scientific vocation. Political discourse confronts private discourse; scientific reason clashes with the barbarity of war. Negrín appears not as a myth, but as a human being who resists while everything crumbles.
Live music and stage action transform history into a sensory experience where exile is not just a physical displacement, but a definitive break with the country to which one has dedicated their life. The last president does not explain history: he makes you feel it. More than a reconstruction of the past, the play is a reflection on memory, democracy, and the price of commitment. A theatre of resistance that questions the present from the shadows of history.
Toni Báez portrays Juan Negrín, moving away from a solemn depiction, while María Filomena and Alberto Aliaga embody multiple characters that complete his surroundings.
Artistic cast
Performers: Toni Báez, María Filomena and Alberto Aliaga.
Manipulator: Manu Jiménez
Musician: Yul Ballesteros.
Author: Miguel Ángel Martínez
Adaptation: Nacho Cabrera
Stage Design: Clemente García
Set Construction: Maroto y Vergara
Tour Assembly: Francisco Caballero
Lighting: Miguel Ferrera
Costume Design: Carmen Alzate
Poster and Image Design: Yosmary de la Cruz
Photography: Gustavo Martín
Live Recording: Desenfoque Producciones
Sound Design and Music: Yul Ballesteros
Pedagogical Direction: Melisa Espino and Miguel Ángel Martínez
Production: Carmela Rodríguez
Production Assistant: Cristina Hernández
Distribution: CR Escénica
Assistant Director: Sara Álvarez
Direction: Nacho Cabrera
Produces: Fundación Teatro Pérez Galdós and Auditorio Alfredo Kraus – Teatro La República – CR Escénica
Collaborates: Department of Culture of the City Council of Agüimes.
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