There are many types of theatrical shows: some entertain us, others move us, others make us uncomfortable and there are some that have the capacity to put words to what we often find difficult to explain. With this intention, the Maldà hosts until May 31 the play Inútil (un cactus i altres desastres). It is a work of autofiction, written and directed by Alícia Serrat, in an intimate musical format, which with extreme honesty and full of humor, addresses current issues such as depression, impostor syndrome, self-demand, and mental health.
The protagonist, Cris, is a young actress who apparently has everything to be happy, but who lives trapped inside a labyrinth of insecurities, intrusive thoughts, and an inner voice that never shuts up. With a guitar as a travel companion and surrounded by a universe of characters —psychologists, teachers, family members, friends, ex-partners, and psychiatrists—, she tries to understand what is happening to her and, above all, how to live with this part of herself that constantly questions her.
Halfway between the pop-folk concert, the dramatic comedy and the scenic confession, Useless (a cactus and other disasters) builds a deeply contemporary narrative about vulnerability that challenges us as a society. It seeks to do so from proximity, without gratuitously dramatizing and with a combination of original songs, very fine humor and a gaze full of light on the internal contradictions that many people often experience in silence.
Art heals us and defines us
The work, with cacti also well present, tells us how small daily failures often end up being magnified due to our agitated and revolutionized minds in the era of immediacy and informational chaos. Interpreted by Claudia Nogués, Pau Oliver and Anila Padrós, with original musical composition, the work vindicates the healing power of art, with music acting as a true refuge, humor as a survival mechanism and theater as a meeting space where we can share all that makes us human beings.
The experience will be completed with a special post-show on Wednesday, May 27, focused on mental health, led by Mireia Garcia, emotional and community well-being referent (REBEC) at CAP Numància in Barcelona, and Sara Guila Fidel Knori, specialist in Clinical Psychology, adjunct of the Psychiatry Service of the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and member of PADEICS of Arts in Health. You can buy tickets here.
