The theater director and choreographer Ricky Pashkus, who premiered the musical comedy “I love you, you’re perfect, you change” at the Astral theater, admitted that he went through a very tough 2020 due to the pandemic and stated that he believed that “the theater should be opened at a loss if necessary ”.
“Obviously the theater as a business did not return and, let alone the independent theater that could not open,” said the also producer in an interview during which, and “within the global catastrophe” due to the pandemic, he confessed to feeling “for a moment of glory and privilege ”.
“I can only thank you. I have my production company, it is the first time in my life that I can choose what projects I produce, if I direct and what I direct. It is a privilege that does not give me guilt but that I take it consciously, “he said.
Regarding the piece that he premiered, Pashkus explained that “it shows through stereotypes the humor applied to aspects that have to do with the rites of the stages of life”: “That is why I chose it, they are propitious themes for this time. It is a light comedy and at the same time very empathetic and emotional. The things that happen in history to all of us once happened ”.
The musical “I love you, you’re perfect, you change” covers different moments in life, such as the first date, the courtship, seduction, love affairs, the discussion with parents, mandates and singleness, approached through a glance ironic, friendly and critical.
Starring Laura Oliva, Flor Otero, Roberto Peloni and Agustín Sullivan, the play has performances on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 p.m.
“Why did you choose to rerun this musical?”
—It is a moment for each one to reflect on what motivates them to do theater. Obviously the theater is a business and that is not discussed, but it is also much more, and in that sense I tried to understand together with the people of the Astral what I can do in conditions where restrictions such as capacity and how the possibility of recovery or loss are so important, in addition to compliance with health protocols. In this context, “I love you …” is a play in which there are few actors on stage and on the other hand it is a piece that remains current, which speaks of the stages of love.
—In that sense, were changes made to the original version?
– Dialogues, jokes, some glances exchanged. It was never a play that had macho material, but it did have some jokes that are not funny today and it also changed the way they are told. All the works that I have been doing are very well presented from a gender perspective. Humor requires a sarcastic and ironic look, there are few topics with which humor cannot be done, the key is to do it without damaging. I am someone who is not kicking the board, I understand that political correctness is a necessary transition and not a corset that comes to kill the expression, but the search for a humor that is not harmful. In a comedy you have to generate empathy, grace and laughter for everyone, the viewer cannot be offended.
—How did you go through 2020 doing live streaming theater?
—It was a very hard and very complex year for everyone, I have a hyperkinetic nature, I am anxious and verbose. At first I went through the anguish that we all go through, then I began to feel a lot of reaction to certain phrases, I was angry that they said “the latest is culture” or “we are not going to return.”
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