What to see in independent theater: the best of the off circuit in Buenos Aires

By Martín Flores Cárdenas with Laura Lopez Moyano.

An unsettling and uncomfortable piece to reflect on friendship and its foundations. What attracts us to those we choose in our lives, and what pushes us away? What keeps two people connected by a bond of friendship?

Martín Flores Cárdenas, with his irreverent and unique style, presents a sort of tribute to friendship, based on his personal experience, to unravel the invisible threads that allow two people to connect.

Where: Casa Teatro Estudio, Guardia Vieja 4257. Tickets, here.

With Rocío Hernandez and Pascual Carcavallo. Written and directed by Tomás Landa.

Third season for this innovative play that tells the story of Mara and Pablo, a couple looking for new ways to revitalize their love. On this journey, they decide to involve a third person to reignite the flame. Each performance features a surprise special guest who improvises a complete scene, challenging the actors to adapt in real time to the proposal of each new visitor. Additionally, the audience participates in the experience by incorporating clothing items into the set design, which are then donated to the Moksha Foundation.

Where: Nun Teatro Bar, Juan Ramirez de Velazco 419. Tickets, here.

Written and directed by Juan Francisco Dasso. With Marcos Montes.

Fourth season for this one-man show in which a man does everything possible to capture the attention of his autistic son, who, entering adolescence, begins his sexual awakening. At the same time, it opens the doors to revisiting his own history, the scars he carries with him, and the possibility of reflecting on his role as the father of a child with a disability.

Where: Espacio Callejón, Humahuaca 3759. Tickets, here.

Directed by Luciana Acuña. With Tatiana Saphir, Carla Di Grazia, Luciana Acuña, Matías Sendón, Agustín Fortuny.

It’s the 19th century, and the legend tells of distant chronicles of dancers who died burned by the flames of the gas lamps used in the theaters of the time. Five performers transport us to another era, in tune with music and emotions, to learn about their tragic stories wrapped in flames.

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Where: Arthaus Central, Bartolomé Mitre 434. Tickets, here.

Written and directed by Emmanuel Degracia. With Ana Clara Fay, Ariadna Alegre, Ariadna Thachuk, Fina Insua, Fiona Obregón, and the cast.

A group of young, idealistic artists struggles to transform an old, abandoned theater into a space where they can develop their creativity and dreams. In doing so, they rebuild not only the place but also their stories, discovering that art is both a refuge and a tool for healing.

The emotional dialogues, accompanied by iconic national rock songs, deliver an atypical musical to reflect on the transformative power of art.

Where: Teatro Itaca, Humahuaca 4027. Tickets, here.

Written and performed by Javi Marra. Directed by Lisandro Penelas.

It’s the 90s, and two kids experience the illusion of perfect love at the moment of their sexual awakening. In a world made up of grandmothers, summer, bread, flowers, and knives, they will face family mandates, encounters with the forbidden, and the tension between the countryside and the city.

Where: Teatro Moscú, Juan Ramirez de Velazco 535. Tickets, here.

Written and directed by María Figueras. With Aymará Abramovich, Ezequiel Baquero, Agustín Daulte, Miguel Ferrería, Mercedes Moltedo, Malena Resino, and the voice of Rafael Spregelburd.

A small shop is living its last days and becomes the makeshift home for a widow and her two children. In their search for happiness, they travel a path full of obstacles, misunderstandings, secrets, and hidden dreams. Who wouldn’t want to go to a place that doesn’t hurt? Is love a form of resistance? These and other questions arise as they coexist with an unsettling presence.

Where: Espacio Callejón, Humahuaca 3759. Tickets, here.

Written and directed by Gustavo Tarrio. With María Laura Alemán, Vero Gerez, and David Gudiño.

Carlos Correas was a writer, chronicler, translator, teacher, and essayist who, in the 1930s, at only 28 years old, dared to publish the first homosexual story in Argentine literature, for which he suffered public condemnation and saw his career cut short.

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In this play, which can be seen as a furious farewell, his texts, autobiography, and reviews are revisited in a bright tribute.

Where: Auditorio Arthaus, Bartolomé Mitre 434. Tickets, here.

By Antonella Van Ysseldyk. Directed by Guido Inaui Vega. With Antonella Van Ysseldyk, María Medesani, Coni Beneitez, Nicolás Beuret, Lola Casas, Clara González Casella, Davide Lara.

A romantic and psychedelic comedy that embarks on the journey of two souls who search for each other through time and space to save themselves from an event that will change their lives forever. The story is interwoven with three different parties featuring electronic music, cumbia, and graduation songs. Will these soulmates manage to save each other?

Where: Teatro El Extranjero, Valentín Gomez 3378. Tickets, here.

With Diego Reinhold and Daniel Casablanca. Directed by Guadalupe Bervih.

Technically, it wouldn’t fit the definition of independent theater, but we think it's a great opportunity to see two celebrated local actors, Diego Reinhold and Daniel Casablanca, in a small and more intimate venue.

To the great Argentine people, salud…mental! With this premise, the talented duo of actors takes us through the history of Argentinians, with the daring proposal to laugh at ourselves while also looking deeply and emotionally at the periods we've gone through as a nation. Perhaps with the titanic idea of finding some answer to the intricate "national identity."

Where: Teatro Chacarerean, Nicaragua 5565. Tickets, here.