This Wednesday the person who will take over from Juan Carlos Martel at the head of the Teatre Lliure will be announced. It is the function of the Board of Trustees to make this choice, but it is worth remembering that, under the presidency of Guillem López Casasnovas, many interests converge, which go beyond the strictly artistic ones.
The City Council, the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Ministry of Culture are represented in this Barcelona public theater. So, it is not easy to agree on a name, but there will surely be white smoke.
For weeks now, many names have been considered in theater circles as possible candidates to direct the house founded by Fabià Puigserver, but there are three that have gained specific weight in recent days. In alphabetical order: Julio Manrique, Borja Sitjà and Carlota Subirós.
Julio Manrique (Barcelona, 1973) is well known to the general public for his acting career, which has also been enriched by his work as a director. At the moment he is about to premiere Mike Bartlett's work Love Love Love at La Villarroel. To his credit is the artistic direction of the Romea theater between 2010 and 2015. Among the people contacted by La Vanguardia, he is the candidate with the greatest consensus.
Borja Sitjà (Barcelona, 1956) is the most managerial profile of the three. Graduated in History, he has developed his career as a cultural manager, linked above all to the theatrical world. Apparently, he is the preferred candidate for Barcelona City Council. Against him, he weighs his age.
Carlota Subirós (Barcelona, 1974) is a theater director and playwright. At the moment, her latest work, the theatrical version of La plaça del Diamant, is being performed at the TNC. She already applied for the position in the previous call. If she were chosen, she would be the first woman to direct the Teatre Lliure. Together with Marique, she would join the tradition of directors linked to the theatrical world.
Although the three names that have the most possibilities today have profiles that are suitable for the position for various reasons, it is not ruled out that, as happened four years ago, tomorrow a name that was not in the pools will be announced.
Juan Carlos Martel was chosen as director in 2019 and has enjoyed a one-year extension due to the ravages of covid. Last April, Martel announced that this would be his last year and that he would not run for reelection, due to "the difficult governance" of the theater with its three theaters. Martel declared at the time: “People who cause change are not people of consensus.”
