"Giving theater tickets has become fashionable in Barcelona"

Isabel Vidal is an enthusiast and a veteran, a deep connoisseur of the Barcelona and Catalan theater scene. She tries to demonstrate at all times that being a large company does not prevent anyone from growing, but rather allows everyone to grow, and she is proud of the country's theatrical moment.

It is the constant in her answers: she mentions Focus, of course, since she is its director, but when she answers, she always tries to respond thinking about the entire landscape of the sector, also being the president of the Associació d'Empreses de Teatre de Catalunya (ADETCA). Not on behalf of the sector, but with the sector in mind. One wonders how many private company executives are capable of thinking like this, at every moment, about the product or service they offer.

--- The latest news we have from you is the macro opening and closing show of the America's Cup. How was it, and what is your assessment?

--- Focus is known for theater basically, for "culture" understood in terms of classical disciplines, but very soon after founding we also opted for event production. We have done very large ones in Barcelona, ​​in Madrid, in several European cities... Now it had been a long time since there was an event of such magnitude in Barcelona, ​​so we applied for the call and turned out to be up to the challenge. The risk was added by the factor of proximity to the sea, with all that this implies in terms of climatological uncertainty, strong winds... But as for the result, we are extremely happy. Especially for having been able to develop this experience in Barcelona. Aware of the existing controversy, we have contributed to a greater return of the competition to the citizenry. Both the inauguration, full of very ours, very collective and Barcelona elements, and the closing (in collaboration with Concert Studio) with the intervention of Josep Carreras and Sara Baras.

--- Once this has finished, how does the season look?

--- It starts frankly very well: we are already coming from a record year, and now we are already above expectations. It must also be said that the sector's context is currently good. Covid made us rethink many things. You know how it was: everyone at home, theater from screens... What did we do? Instead of reducing and saving, we increased investment in content. To put it clearly, live arts experienced a terrible moment and we took care to alleviate it. Betting on values of quality, diversity, and the ability to encompass large productions.

--- A turning point, then.

--- Exactly. And now we have bet on good shows, on revivals, and on productions. And soon we will have to address Focus's 40th anniversary!

--- Forty, already?

--- A new turning point, yes.

--- What I have noticed, personally, is an excellent theater season, like I hadn't remembered in a long time.

--- I like that you say that. It is essential that the spectator has a good perception, that is, to do things well and communicate them well. Three million spectators in Barcelona is a record, honestly. We believe we bring maturity, the accumulated experience of many years. And we are reaping the effects of the bet made during covid, the feeling of sharing, and of offering an experience that unfolds at a specific moment and in a space. Both the private and public sectors have been doing very good work for years, cuts have been made in times of crisis and measures have been taken during the pandemic, but we have maintained quality, the commitment to experimentation...

--- Those who are not so big too?

--- Small venues and small production companies do very interesting things, and we are happy about that too! Everything feeds back into itself. We encourage each other, we create word-of-mouth, we get shows to work with less famous artists, or with recognized people, everything ends up feeding back into itself. And we have used many collective actions such as promoting the purchase of tickets to give theater as a gift to loved ones, the Cap Butaca Buida, ADETCA's work in the media... Theater has become fashionable! As an intangible gift, it is now an undeniable phenomenon.

"We do not phagocytize. Our four theaters in Barcelona cede their spaces to other producers and companies, on dates we would want for ourselves! Because if the system is doing well, Focus is also doing well!"

--- From companies and administrations, I insist. We are experiencing the largest budget increase in history, although we are still fighting for the famous 2% from the Department of Culture for 2025. All of this helps us withstand the blows that box offices sometimes deal us.

--- I insist that the small ones must suffer more than you.

--- We do not cannibalize. Our four theaters in Barcelona lend their spaces to other producers and companies, on dates we would want for ourselves! And they also must comply with the aid. All of this oxygenates the system, because if the system is doing well, Focus is also doing well! This means that when making decisions, we try to take everyone into account, because we must all coexist, and because competition is a positive factor, not a negative one.

--- You are a large machine.

--- Of course, we have the largest payroll budget in the entire State in this sector! But if only we do well, we will have problems in the medium term. Even in the short term.

--- And what will we do this season? What will you do?

--- Phew, I don't even know where to start. Let's see, we have the phenomena at La Villarroel by Tania Brenlle, Un Matrimoni de Boston and La Presència, and the double programming of this venue, with proximity room content focused on making the leap to a commercial venue. We have great successes at the Romea with Josep Maria Pou as director, such as Tirant lo Blanc, La Disputa, Mort d'un Comediant, El Gran Teatro del Mundo, Travy...

--- Travy. I saw it at the Library. Good.

--- Also all of Petit Romea, Romea en Familia, we have filled the entire first season of the Goya, with Un Sogre de Lloguer (with Joan Pera) and Un Déu Salvatge (with Pere Arquillué), the return of Jauría, the musical El Fil Invisible... I don't think I can give you a list because I'll forget someone!

--- Don't worry, it's understood.

--- Escape Room 2 at the Condal, directed by Dani Anglès, also a phenomenon, Lapònia which I find very interesting, music, comedy, Àngels Gonyalons, Jordi Casanovas... I can't finish it! And a lot, a lot of commitment to Catalan authorship. This has been worked on hand in hand with the sector, right now more than 54% of the works presented in Catalonia are by Catalan authors.

"Focus has been decisive in professionalizing the sector and also in articulating it in Catalonia and throughout the State"

--- Well... good, we have been exercising sectorial leadership for years. I don't know what the sector would be like without us... but I do know that Focus has been decisive in professionalizing the sector and also in articulating it in Catalonia and also throughout the State. With Daniel Martínez and his team, we have committed to conveying to the sector the idea that cultural companies are companies, and that is why we need criteria such as having facilitating regulations, talking about viability and sustainability, believing in social return (because we are cultural, let's not forget that either), the reinvestment of profits as a system for distributing wealth and fostering promotion and generational replacement. And in view of this, Focus guarantees a line of continuity, a solidity. Focus was created to transcend its founders, and now it is focusing on the next generation while maintaining the same values of its founders (Daniel, Jordi, Amparo and Angel).

--- And to act as a lobby.

---Correct, and to have more muscle as a sector when it comes to talking with other agents, such as administrations. And to share knowledge, strength, struggle, experience. To provide dignified work, we must all grow.

--- Do changes in habits worry you? To be more specific, does the small screen worry you?

--- Theater already tested its remote experience and it works relatively. People don't respond the same way to televised theater. In fact, no matter how much you can see Hamilton on Disney, people travel to London to see a musical, right?

--- True.

--- We want to go see it. Presence saves theater.

--- Finally: are there not enough theaters in Barcelona?

--- More medium-sized venues, some larger venues, and stable small venues. The audience is there!