Pepe Rubianes
Encyclopedia
José Rubianes Alegret, better known as Pepe Rubianes (September 2, 1947 - March 1, 2009) was a Spanish Catalan
actor
and theater director, born in Galicia and brought up in Catalonia, specializing in mime, imitation and monologue
s. He was known for his irony, his sharp sense of humor and verbal torrents sprinkled with swear words, and rigorously dressing in black clothes when acting in dramatic scenes. He defined himself as a "Galician-Catalan actor: Galician because I was born in Galicia although I hardly ever lived there, and Catalan because I have always lived in Catalonia
although I was never born here."
(Pontevedra
) in 1947. He soon arrived in Catalonia
where he studied, trained and developed his total acting career. He used to act both in Castilian
and in Catalan, but most often performed in both languages at once, alternating unexpectedly, introducing odd sentences in Galician
.
). But it was at the University of Barcelona
, where he studied law, that he became familiar with the stage. He first joined the T.U.C. group (University Theatre of Cámara). Then he joined the NGTU (New University Theater Group), led by Frederic Roda, where he met members of the future Dagoll Dagom
company, with whom he would collaborate on several occasions throughout his career.
, by Henrik Ibsen
, which was premiered at the Teatro Calderón de Barcelona. Subsequently he participated in El café de la Marina by Josep Maria de Segarra, which premiered in El Port de la Selva
. He also had a role in José Ruibal's The pious monkey.
, as a member of the company. The success of the work made him consider, along with the other members of Dagoll, the possibility of a starting professional theatre company. He took this decision in 1978, participating in Dagoll Dagom's fourth work, Antaviana, a musical which saw great success with both audiences and critics. Rubianes toured Spain with the group, and also performed with them in France
, Italy and Switzerland
.
In 1981 Rubianes was part of the cast of Operación Ubú by Els Joglars, performed at the Teatre Lliure and another success.
and other Spanish
cities, and that led him to act alone in Central America: Cuba
, Mexico
, Panama
, Costa Rica
, Nicaragua
and Guatemala
.
In 1984 he premiered his second play, Ño, performed in several cities in Spain
, Argentina
and Uruguay
. Sin palabras premiered in 1987 and En resumidas cuentas in 1988, an anthology of the best numbers of his first three shows.
Rubianes ended the 1980s with a great prestige, which expanded dramatically in the next decade, as he has great success with works like Ssscum!, which is placed among the most renowned monologues in Spain.
Moreover, in the 1990s new media such as radio, film and television were introduced which awarded him great social popularity. This section highlights his involvement as a protagonist of the series for television Makinavaja, an adaptation of a popular comic strip of cartoonist the Ivá. The work was well known for lasting so long in Spain. In 1995 Rubianes: 15 años was released in Barcelona
, bringing together the best of his solo performances since 1980. In 1999 participated in an interview for Malalts de Tele, TV3
which, at eight and ahalf hours, achieved the Guinness record for the longest interview on television. From 1997 to 2006 he performed his most highly acclaimed show called Rubianes, solamente, from which released a CD of monologues in 1998 and a DVD edition in 2001.
In 2006 he directed the performance of Lorca eran todos and, in January 2008, La sonrisa etíope.
In April 2008 he was diagnosed with lung cancer which kept him off the stage, and finally killed him on the morning of 1 March 2009.
Also, his book Me Voy (I'm Going) states that this statement was made in a comic tone, an adaptation of part of the script of his show, Rubianes, solamente (Rubianes, himself)
The Association for the Defense of the Spanish Nation prosecuted Rubianes for "insulting Spain", which was filed in May 2007. However, in June 2008, the Magistrate's Court in Sant Feliu de Llobregat
decided to reopen the case and accusing Pepe Rubianes and the presenter Albert Om of "incitement to hatred against a section of the population based on national origin and outrages upon Spain," and also against TV3 as responsible vicariously.
Rubianes company was hired by Mario Gas, the director of the municipally owned Teatro Español, to present in Madrid his piece, Lorca Was Everybody, about the poet and playwright Federico García Lorca
, part of a cycle of homage to the Grenadine poet during September 2006. After the protests (and even threats, as told by Alicia Moreno, councillor of the Arts) against presentation in a municipal theater, the actor decided to withdraw voluntarily from his show because of, in his words, the "aggressive atmosphere" and "in order to free the management from the pressure to which they have been subjected". Mario Gas considered resigning in the circumstances.
An independent Madrid spokesman explained: "It is unacceptable and intolerable that the actor seeks to take advantage of contracts in public spaces at the expense of everyone." That, he said, "is unacceptable for a person who is dedicated to insulting Spain and Spaniards."
The actor noted that, thus far, the presentation of the work in different Spanish cities had not created any problem, and again attributed the situation in Madrid to a campaign of "the most rancid right."
Rubianes, accepted the offer of CC.OO. to present Lorca Was Everybody in its auditorium in Madrid
.
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and theater director, born in Galicia and brought up in Catalonia, specializing in mime, imitation and monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
s. He was known for his irony, his sharp sense of humor and verbal torrents sprinkled with swear words, and rigorously dressing in black clothes when acting in dramatic scenes. He defined himself as a "Galician-Catalan actor: Galician because I was born in Galicia although I hardly ever lived there, and Catalan because I have always lived in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
although I was never born here."
Early life
Rubianes was born in Vilagarcia de ArousaVilagarcía de Arousa
Vilagarcía de Arousa is a port town situated on the firth of Arousa in Galicia, 45km south of Santiago de Compostela. Vilagarcía has a population of almost 37,000 inhabitants, so it is the eighth largest town in Galicia....
(Pontevedra
Pontevedra
Pontevedra is a city in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is the capital of both the comarca and province of Pontevedra, in Galicia . It is also the capital of its own municipality which is, in fact, often considered as an extension of the actual city...
) in 1947. He soon arrived in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
where he studied, trained and developed his total acting career. He used to act both in Castilian
Castilian Spanish
Castilian Spanish is a term related to the Spanish language, but its exact meaning can vary even in that language. In English Castilian Spanish usually refers to the variety of European Spanish spoken in north and central Spain or as the language standard for radio and TV speakers...
and in Catalan, but most often performed in both languages at once, alternating unexpectedly, introducing odd sentences in Galician
Galician language
Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
.
His childhood
From a very early age Rubianes demonstrated his penchant for acting. At just 16 years of age he had his debut in a work of the National Organization for the Blind (ONCEONCE
ONCE , or Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles , is a Spanish foundation founded on December 13, 1938 to raise funds to provide services for the blind and people with serious visual impairment....
). But it was at the University of Barcelona
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. It is a member of the Coimbra Group, LERU, European University Association, Mediterranean Universities Union, International Research Universities Network and Vives Network...
, where he studied law, that he became familiar with the stage. He first joined the T.U.C. group (University Theatre of Cámara). Then he joined the NGTU (New University Theater Group), led by Frederic Roda, where he met members of the future Dagoll Dagom
Dagoll Dagom
Dagoll Dagom is a Catalan theatre company founded in 1974, mostly dedicated to musical theater. They have performed around 5,000 times in Europe and South America...
company, with whom he would collaborate on several occasions throughout his career.
Theater in Barcelona
In 1970, while still at university, he showed himself to be an actor of imagination performing in An Enemy of the PeopleAn Enemy of the People
An Enemy of the People is an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen wrote it in response to the public outcry against his play Ghosts, which at that time was considered scandalous...
, by Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
, which was premiered at the Teatro Calderón de Barcelona. Subsequently he participated in El café de la Marina by Josep Maria de Segarra, which premiered in El Port de la Selva
El Port de la Selva
El Port de la Selva is a municipality in the comarca of the Alt Empordà in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the northern coast of the Cap de Creus and is an important fishing port and tourist centre...
. He also had a role in José Ruibal's The pious monkey.
Leap to professional theater
In 1977, he performed in No hablaré en clase, the third play of Dagoll DagomDagoll Dagom
Dagoll Dagom is a Catalan theatre company founded in 1974, mostly dedicated to musical theater. They have performed around 5,000 times in Europe and South America...
, as a member of the company. The success of the work made him consider, along with the other members of Dagoll, the possibility of a starting professional theatre company. He took this decision in 1978, participating in Dagoll Dagom's fourth work, Antaviana, a musical which saw great success with both audiences and critics. Rubianes toured Spain with the group, and also performed with them in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In 1981 Rubianes was part of the cast of Operación Ubú by Els Joglars, performed at the Teatre Lliure and another success.
Rubianes, alone
In 1981 Rubianes decided to launch a solo career. He premiered his show Pay-Pay, which was performed for three years at several venues in BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and other Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
cities, and that led him to act alone in Central America: Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
.
In 1984 he premiered his second play, Ño, performed in several cities in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. Sin palabras premiered in 1987 and En resumidas cuentas in 1988, an anthology of the best numbers of his first three shows.
Rubianes ended the 1980s with a great prestige, which expanded dramatically in the next decade, as he has great success with works like Ssscum!, which is placed among the most renowned monologues in Spain.
Moreover, in the 1990s new media such as radio, film and television were introduced which awarded him great social popularity. This section highlights his involvement as a protagonist of the series for television Makinavaja, an adaptation of a popular comic strip of cartoonist the Ivá. The work was well known for lasting so long in Spain. In 1995 Rubianes: 15 años was released in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, bringing together the best of his solo performances since 1980. In 1999 participated in an interview for Malalts de Tele, TV3
TV3 (Catalonia)
TV3 is the primary television channel of Catalan public broadcaster Televisió de Catalunya, a subsidiary of the CCMA. TV3 broadcasts programs only in Catalan, with an optional dual track in the original language for some foreign-language series and movies...
which, at eight and ahalf hours, achieved the Guinness record for the longest interview on television. From 1997 to 2006 he performed his most highly acclaimed show called Rubianes, solamente, from which released a CD of monologues in 1998 and a DVD edition in 2001.
In 2006 he directed the performance of Lorca eran todos and, in January 2008, La sonrisa etíope.
In April 2008 he was diagnosed with lung cancer which kept him off the stage, and finally killed him on the morning of 1 March 2009.
Controversy
In 2006, he was the subject of intense controversy over his speech on January 20, 2006 on the El Club program on TV3 (Catalan public television). Responding to a question from the presenter Albert Om about his attitude to the unity of Spain, he replied "To me, I don't give a flying fuck about the unity of Spain, they can give it to Spain in its damn ass and explode in there, and leave its balls hanging from a bell tower." Later, before the uproar caused by these statements, he publicly apologized and explained that such comments were referring to a certain concept of Spain:...I insulted the Spain that killed Lorca. I respect the Spain that is constitutional and democratic. This Spain merits all my respect, and also, I belong to her...
Also, his book Me Voy (I'm Going) states that this statement was made in a comic tone, an adaptation of part of the script of his show, Rubianes, solamente (Rubianes, himself)
The Association for the Defense of the Spanish Nation prosecuted Rubianes for "insulting Spain", which was filed in May 2007. However, in June 2008, the Magistrate's Court in Sant Feliu de Llobregat
Sant Feliu de Llobregat
Sant Feliu de Llobregat is a city and municipality in Catalonia, Spain, in the province of Barcelona. It is the capital of the comarca of Baix Llobregat, and the see of a Bishopric since June 2005, when the Archbishopric of Barcelona was divided in three....
decided to reopen the case and accusing Pepe Rubianes and the presenter Albert Om of "incitement to hatred against a section of the population based on national origin and outrages upon Spain," and also against TV3 as responsible vicariously.
Rubianes company was hired by Mario Gas, the director of the municipally owned Teatro Español, to present in Madrid his piece, Lorca Was Everybody, about the poet and playwright Federico García Lorca
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
, part of a cycle of homage to the Grenadine poet during September 2006. After the protests (and even threats, as told by Alicia Moreno, councillor of the Arts) against presentation in a municipal theater, the actor decided to withdraw voluntarily from his show because of, in his words, the "aggressive atmosphere" and "in order to free the management from the pressure to which they have been subjected". Mario Gas considered resigning in the circumstances.
An independent Madrid spokesman explained: "It is unacceptable and intolerable that the actor seeks to take advantage of contracts in public spaces at the expense of everyone." That, he said, "is unacceptable for a person who is dedicated to insulting Spain and Spaniards."
The actor noted that, thus far, the presentation of the work in different Spanish cities had not created any problem, and again attributed the situation in Madrid to a campaign of "the most rancid right."
Rubianes, accepted the offer of CC.OO. to present Lorca Was Everybody in its auditorium in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
Own Shows
- 1983 Pay-Pay
- 1984 Ño
- 1987 Sin palabras
- 1988 En resumidas cuentas
- 1991 Por el amor de Dios
- 1992 Ssscum!
- 1995 Rubianes: 15 años
- 1997 Rubianes, solamente
- 2006 Lorca eran todos
- 2008 La sonrisa etíope
Participation in other shows
- 1977 No hablaré en clase, by Dagoll DagomDagoll DagomDagoll Dagom is a Catalan theatre company founded in 1974, mostly dedicated to musical theater. They have performed around 5,000 times in Europe and South America...
. - 1978 Antaviana by Dagoll DagomDagoll DagomDagoll Dagom is a Catalan theatre company founded in 1974, mostly dedicated to musical theater. They have performed around 5,000 times in Europe and South America...
. - 1981 Operación Ubú by Els Joglars.
- 1996 El crimen del cine Oriente (film directed by Pedro CostaPedro CostaPedro Costa is a Portuguese film director.He is acclaimed for using his ascetic style to depict the marginalised people in desperate living situations...
).
Awards and honors
- 1987. Premio Joanot i Racó de l'Arnau al Mejor Actor del Año.
- 1991. Premio Turia.
- 1996. Premio "Els Millors" al Mejor Actor por Rubianes 15 años.
- 1998. Premio "Les mil i una".
- 1998. Premio Especial de la Crítica por sus 15 años.
- 1999. Premio San Miguel del Patronato de la Fira de Teatre al Carrer de Tárrega en la Categoría de "Mejor Obra Representada en una sala" por Rubianes, solamente.
- 1999. Premio de Honor FAD Sebastià Gasch.
- 1999. Premio "Els Millors" al Mejor Espectáculo Teatral Rubianes, solamente.
- 2006. Premio Gat PerichGat PerichGat Perich International Humor Prize, is an international award to cartoonists or humorists given in the memory of Spanish cartoonist Jaume Perich ....
por su trayectoria.
External links
- "Portaré l'obra a Madrid, a l'Auditorio CCOO", interview in the Avui newspaper (in catalánCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
)