Galdós: sombra y realidad

In the words of Oscar Wilde, “all works are a form of autobiography”. Over the years, I have become increasingly interested in the person behind the verses or brushstrokes, and it never fails: I find Wilde’s statement truer and truer.

Delving into the life of Benito Pérez Galdós has shown me that his legacy of monumental works of realist and universal fiction are also an embodiment of his desires, contradictions, obsessions and sense of humour. At times, their nearly literal parallels with his biography are astonishing. Thus, his novels become an intimate conversation between the reader and Benito. Between Benito and me.

Like Concha Ruth, Teodosia, Emilia, Lorenza and so many others, I also have succumbed to the charm of his language, to his jokes (Benito makes me laugh out loud!), to his observations made with exquisite irony (that have revealed so much to me about others and about myself), to his enormous humanity as a declassed socialist. Benito is surprising, without a doubt. He inspires confidence and loves life. Benito does not want to lie to himself or to anyone else. Benito believes that a better world is possible. Who wouldn't fall in love with him?

In the production, we want to remove the black and white that, because of the photography of the era, shapes our image of Galdós and his times. We want to convey what it really was: a vibrant period, one full of hope and rage, of break-ups and promises, but, above all, of free, abashed and real love. If anyone has ever known what is real. We should ask Benito.
Pilar G. Almansa