Les Llàgrimes de Sant Llorenç

This theatre piece is rooted in Catalan legend and mythology, stories that, in ancient times, served to give meaning to what could not be explained—poetically narrating the history of our land. Often imbued with a controlling element such as fear, these tales conveyed values like good, evil, and social norms, and did so in the form of storytelling, around a burning fire. The invention of fantastical creatures and supernatural phenomena has held the attention of children and contributed to the creation of superstitious civilizations, which over time have ended up demonizing them.

With this work, we want to recover those stories and mythical beings that have woven our collective identity, in order to make them dialogue with present-day characters and explore their perspectives and pasts.

The play invites us to follow Lali’s journey, a young woman who arrives in a village nestled in the forest, carrying a trauma from the past and searching for answers. Upon encountering the fantastical creatures, she will have to face difference, overcome prejudice, and put an end to an ancestral war between the two species. Her journey breaks the cycle of generational trauma, which fuels hatred toward the unknown, in a story that also carries an anti-colonialist undertone. At the same time, she will have to accept the transformation of her surroundings and confront grief, learning to let go of what once was.

The play unfolds in an atmosphere that combines the grotesque and the mystical, and is built primarily through the theatrical art of the mask. Each fantastical creature is defined by the mask and costume that identify it, which become tools to achieve maximum bodily expression.

The physical scenography is combined with projections to build an almost ritual-like atmosphere. We work with video projections on sheets and scenic surfaces to expand the visual boundaries of the space. Sound, inspired by natural elements, is another key component that allows the audience to become fully immersed in the story.

This project was born, on one hand, from our desire to create a theatre piece. Although we come from audiovisual studies, each of us—for different reasons—felt the need to explore the language of performing and live arts and to merge it with the multimedia world. In this way, we delve into a field that is less familiar to us, that of theatre, and combine it with one we have studied and analyzed in depth: image and sound.

On the other hand, we wanted to explore a theme that is rarely addressed: Catalan legend. We set out to research the various fantastical creatures of Catalan mythology, to understand what their stories might have been and what their version of events could be—contrasting with the demonization they have often suffered. We believe that bringing these beings to the stage and acknowledging the role they’ve played in shaping our popular culture is important.

This project is intended for all audiences, especially those interested in the legendary culture of our land. But also for those who think they’re not—because that is merely the excuse to address universal themes such as grief, love, and family.

Rosa Roy, Irantzu Goñi, Clàudia Caparrós, and Julia Alía are four Audiovisual Communication students from UPF who, thanks to our diverse profiles and interests, complement each other to form a strong team for this project.

Rosa Roy, with a focus on writing and screenwriting, has developed part of her career in Mexico City, where her collective project Contrafactual received an honorable mention at the TEC Monterrey Short Film Festival in 2023. In parallel, she has collaborated on several short films as part of the cinematography team and has worked on the Info K program for 3cat. She is currently a member of the Trakas theatre company in Terrassa, where she combines acting with scriptwriting.

Irantzu Goñi, originally from Navarre and based in Barcelona for the past four years, has a special talent for art direction. Gifted in drawing, set design, and costume, she has worked on various shoots in both art and production departments, and has even made a few appearances in front of the camera. Her collective short film Vestigi (2023) was selected for the New Talents section of the BCN Film Fest 2024, confirming her commitment to visual creativity with both character and sensitivity.

Clàudia Caparrós, with a strong interest in theatrical production and cultural management, currently works in the communications team at Fabra i Coats: Fàbrica de Creació. Also drawn to the audiovisual world, she has created works for visual art exhibitions at the UPF Gallery and was part of the short film Si pogués sostenir-me com ho fan els arbres (2023), a project that was selected for both the San Sebastián Film Festival 2023 and the UNAM International Film Festival 2024.

Júlia Alía, fascinated by both the camera and writing, moves between screenwriting and storytelling with a creative and sensitive lens. She has won several national and international short story competitions, such as Hellín Dos Patrimonios and Cartas de Amor “Villa de Bolaños” (2021), and published a story in the anthology La casa de los sueños rotos (2023). At the same time, she also explores filmmaking, with her collective short film Vestigis (2024) awarded 3rd prize at Patrofest.