concept and direction Nelson Valente
with Gabriel Beck, Carlos Rosas, Lide Uranga, Mariana Fossatti, Julio Greco
set design Luciano Stechina
dramaturgy Nelson Valente in collaboration with the actors
assistant director and graphics Mariana Fossatti
Banfield Teatro Ensamble
Running time 1 hour and 20 minutes
National premiere
Played in Spanish with Italian subtitles
Insanity, family relations, domestic violence and truth: these are the main subjects setting the plot of El loco y la camisa, a play standing as a symbol of indipendent theatre in Argentina.
Largely appreciated by audience and critics, awarded several National and International prizes, performed for five consecutive seasons, El loco y la camisa is a noir comedy, sweet and happy at the same time, catching the audience with universal subjects and emotions.
Nelson Valente, actor, playwriter and director of Banfield Theatre Ensamble of Buenos Aires, one of the out standing and biggest cultural groups in Argentina, is the director and playwriter for this show on which he comments: «A family hides a fool man in every possible way. They hide him inside and outside. Get rid of him would be the best solution. The fool man thus grows unformed and monstruous like a body clutched in a corset. His ability-conviction is to tell what he thinks without filters».
…a gem of the Argentine group Ensemble Theatre Banfield, an outstanding piece fledged. Nelson Valente writes with the same precision as directed: acuity and fierce come together in a masterful way of drawing situations. Five Argentine players magnificent, once again, that release no truth and deception in each of his gestures… José Carlo Sorribves, el periódico.com
The company Banfield Argentina Theatre Ensamble moves the whole audience with The Mad fellow and the shirt, a hilarious, tender and dramatic play. Five Stars gloriously absorbed in their characters. A devoted audience from the first minute to the cause of emotional theater, genuinely simple theater, very close to the problems of the viewers, the real theatre, an audience that ends up with standing ovation, applauding until bleeding, a theater made from emotions, from pure interpretation, from the conviction and from the involvement of all stakeholders. Tony Polo, eldiario.es
The mad fellow and the shirt triumphed last season during his stay in the Villarroel in a week that sold out. The success was the result of a splendid text and excellent performances. Barcelona Cultura
Nelson Valente
Nelson Valente is an actor, director, dramaturge and theatre professor. He studied in EMAD and in the Southern Foundation Theatre School (Alberto Félix Alberto), he studied with diverse professors (Teresa Istillarte, Ricardo Bartís, Walter Neira). He has gotten a scholarship for the Antorchas Foundation. In 2011 he participated in the Encounter of Odin Teatret and Eugenio Barba, in the VIII Theatre Festival of Cali (Colombia). It’s creator and director of the Banfield Theater Ensemble Company and of the Cultural Complex BTE (Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires Province). He has directed Musical Comedy in Lomas de Zamora. He has presented his shows in both national and internationally. His productions has been subsidized and awarded by the INT and participated in various festivals. Among his creations, we can highlight “The mad fellow and the shirt” and “Self-portrait with an imaginary brother”, which won the award of Stimulus for the theatrical production of quality (INT, 2006); and Representative for the Buenos Aires Province in the National Feast of Theatre (Mendoza Province, Argentina, 2003). Regarding his teaching career, was Regent of the Municipal School of Dramatic Art Lomas de Zamora, and general coordinator of the workshops for the Performing Arts, School of Art Ensemble Theater Cultural Complex Banfield.