“The Argentine public is very grateful”

Last year he did three performances of Miguel de Molina in the nude. Only with them Ángel Ruiz managed to conquer the Buenos Aires public. Now from the same stage -El Picadero- he returned with that same show, always accompanied by César Belda on piano and directed by Félix Estaire. His proposal goes on Fridays at 10:00 p.m., Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. until July 30.

He remembers: “They gave me his biography, Botín de guerra by Miguel de Molina, and when I came across his story I wanted to take it to the stage. I sought to go through the same state of mind that I lived when I encountered his life. There are many parts that were left in the inkwell ”.

—How was the choice of this structure?

—I wanted to put together a press conference to recreate that fresh spirit that he had on stage and in varieties, where he spoke to the public and improvised. I sought to maintain that dialogue, I did not want a closed monologue that could distance itself. I intend to play Brechtian estrangement precisely to get to the now. As if Miguel de Molina had come to the present and allowed me to break the fourth wall. It is a simple setting, because the axis is that people think that it is Molina himself who is speaking. I took advantage of what happened to us in the pandemic and also what happens politically, which is why I think it is always valid. For me Miguel de Molina naked is much more than a tribute, he is the vehicle to denounce events that continue to occur today.

—The theater can modify the spectators?

-For that we are. I think that’s our reason for being, since the theater emerged. The first was Aeschylus who wrote The Persians where an answer arises: we are Greeks, we won but let us put ourselves in the place of losers. The stage helps us as a therapy to be better. It is necessary to entertain, but we must wake up and change consciences, opening questions, more than answers.

—What differences do you find between the Argentine and Spanish audiences?

—The difference is huge. The Argentine public is very intense and grateful, they know that theater is necessary and food for the soul. This has been lost in Spain, it belongs to an elite group, and we have the feeling that we always do theater for the same people. I see the stalls here full and the number of rooms they have can only be compared to those in New York, although I think you have more. Argentina has its own identity. In Spain, when there is a crisis, the first thing that falls is culture.

—Do you think that Miguel de Molina became a symbol of the gay community…?

—Unintentionally. In his biography, he admits that she never dressed as a woman. He clarifies that he was a man who was what he was and carried it naturally. He was very brave. In the 20s and 30s he rubbed shoulders with people like Federico García Lorca, Manuel de Falla, Vitín Cortezo, all the avant-garde. He had a concept of performing arts and was interested in what was done in other countries.

—How was creating with this director?

—Félix Estaire, as well as a director, is an excellent playwright. I handed him the text and asked for something simple. It is a very minimalist show, where the character is privileged. De Molina was an artist, he was not a folkloric, that’s why I was sorry that he was forgotten. I did not seek to imitate him.

—Since 2016 he has been playing Miguel de Molina: aren’t you afraid of being typecast?

-No. I am just an actor who has wanted throughout his history to make a very general complaint and talk about a part of the history of Spain, so that we do not forget it, because it can be repeated again. I was very respectful to him. I assume a character, which is the one I invented from the readings. I took it to my field, which is in addition to acting, singing.

Between teaching and the Latin American song

The affection that Ángel Ruiz feels for Argentina not only brought him to Buenos Aires to see the city that helped Miguel de Molina, but this year we have presented a recital with mostly national themes. He anticipates: “It will be on Tuesday, July 11 at El Picadero. A tribute to Latin American music, with songs mostly by women, like Chabuca Grande or Mercedes Sosa, but I will also sing creations by Fito Páez and tangos. There will be a predominance of Argentine creators”.

“I like to teach – he confesses – because I am interested in transmitting what he has learned throughout my life. It’s a wheel. It fills me with joy to teach, I do it out of passion and not for money. I have been a teacher for thirty years. I am at the Réplika School, founded by Socorro Anadón and Jaroslaw Bielski, and at Estudio Juan Codina. Based on these works, he summoned Claudio Tolcachir to me to give classes at his Timbre 4 in Madrid. I always feel that the actors worked with the body and the emotions, that’s why we must train in both”.

“When I return to Spain I will do Miguel de Molina naked again in Madrid and Barcelona, ​​then I will perform the zarzuela La rosa del azafrán and it is very likely that the television program will be done again, At this step we will (not) premiere . There I did several roles from the golden age. My idea is to return to tour the Argentine provinces. The show is built for those who did not know Miguel de Molina. The youngest discover the world of the couplet ”, he ends.