2nd "Salas en Concierto" Theater Festival

Abstract

Regarding cultural consumption in the performing arts, the city has gone through various stages marked by differing responses: at times, it has enjoyed national and international glory—such as the participation of the *Teatro Escuela de Cali* (TEC) in the *Théâtre des Nations* in Paris during the 1960s with the play *La diestra de Dios Padre*—while at other times, it has faced an exodus and abandonment by the audience. This departure left behind lasting effects and various interpretations; while some have sought to explain it through the fall of the Berlin Wall, the phenomenon perhaps requires closer scrutiny to be fully understood in its true dimension. During the 1970s, the TEC—as an experimental, independent theater—became the hub of a movement that may have overshadowed the importance of other contributions and developments, yet undoubtedly marked a milestone and remains a source of nostalgia. This legacy centers on Enrique Buenaventura, who remains active in his downtown theater on Seventh Street—a stage defined by both legends and oblivion.