Teatro La Caridad
Encyclopedia
Santa Clara, Cuba
Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is located in the most central region of the province and almost in the most central region of the country.- History :Santa Clara was founded by 175 people on July 15th, 1689...
is one of the few remaining colonial theatres in 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...
. It is a National Monument of Cuba.
Teatro de La Caridad (Charity's Theater) is a theater in Santa Clara, Cuba
Santa Clara, Cuba
Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is located in the most central region of the province and almost in the most central region of the country.- History :Santa Clara was founded by 175 people on July 15th, 1689...
built in 1885 and is one of The Eight Grand Theaters of Cuban Colonial era along with Teatro de la Marina in Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
[1823], Milanes in Pinar del Río
Pinar del Río
Pinar del Río is a city in Cuba. It is the capital of Pinar del Río Province.Inhabitants of the area are called Pinareños.Neighborhoods in the city include La Conchita, La Coloma, Briones Montoto and Las Ovas.-History:...
[1838], Tacón in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
[1838], Brunet in Trinidad
Trinidad, Cuba
-External links:* , Online travel guide to Trinidad* , Selected photos of Trinidad* , Photos of Trinidad...
[1840], Principal in Camagüey
Camagüey
Camagüey is a city and municipality in central Cuba and is the nation's third largest city. It is the capital of the Camagüey Province.After almost continuous attacks from pirates the original city was moved inland in 1528.The new city was built with a confusing lay-out of winding alleys that made...
[1850], Sauto in Matanzas
Matanzas
Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...
[1863] and Terry in Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur...
[1890].
The theater was financed entirely by Marta Abreu de Estevez
Marta Abreu
Marta Abreu de Estévez was one of the most influential figures of her time in central Cuba, especially in her birth city and province of Santa Clara...
, a local and beloved philanthropist who contributed to the prosperity of the city, donating resources to many other projects. La Caridad is one of her greatest legacies. Engineer Don Herminio Leiva y Aguilera was in charge of the design of the building. Asked for more functionality Don Herminio came up with a structure with an auditorium for 500+ observers, a mini concert room, cafeteria, restaurant, barbershop and a dancing room. The theatre has quite a sober exterior, but it is the engineering solution for new angles of the roof, the amount of windows and doors for better air flow and the interior decoration that stands up.
Decorations were made by Cuban painter and sculptor Miguel Melero, Spanish Miguel Arias and Philippine-Cuban Camilo Salaya, who later also decorated the Terry Theater in Cienfuegos province, the last of The Eight Grand Theaters. The fresco on the main ceiling depicts Genius, History, Fame, Tragedy and Comedy. The floor and sculptures in the lobby are of white English marble. Ironworks and chairs were imported form America.
September 8, 1885 was inauguration night with many festivities and finalizing with the play "Los lazos de familia" (Family bonds). All local society was present and a formal invitation to the Governor General of the island was issued for the occasion as well. Next morning thankful citizens of Santa Clara took Marta Abreu to the function in a chariot over a carpet of flowers, after that she gave away her theater to the City Council as planned and together they administrated it and saw that part of the money always went to local charities. During the next 75 years the place was changed several times in detriment of the original design. The last restoration of the structure took place in 1964 when most of the original splendor was recovered but after that more than 4 decades has passed and today the facility is in a much needed restoration again. Unfortunately local authorities lack the necessary funds to make this task possible. The theater has been closed to public functions from 2007 when a loud sound in the roof alerted the personnel. In further inspections corroded centuries old timbers were detected in the roof and it has been closed since then.
La Caridad Theater is one of the most famous gems from the colonial times in rural Cuba. Its stage has seen world famous figures like Enrico Caruso. It was declared a National Monument in 1999 along with the rest of the architectonic environment of Parque Vidal. It is headquarter to the "Compania Danza Abierta" (Open Dance Company), "Orquesta Sinfonica Provincial" (Provincial Symphonic Orchestra) and "Banda de Conciertos de Santa Clara" (Santa Clara Concert Band).