Cia Deconné
Creators: name: Bernal, Rocío
name: Galera, Pepe
Publisher: name: DARIAH-DE
Year: 2023
Subjects: Spain
Murcia
Theatre Group

description: Cía Deconné is a theatre based in Murcia, Spain, founded by Pepe Galera and Rocío Bernal, both are associated with theatre and graduated from the School of Performing Arts of Murcia (ESAD Escuela de Arte Dramático de Murcia). Upon their graduation, they joined École International Phillippe Gaulier in Paris to build on their skills and learning.They worked with different theatre companies after returning from Paris but eventually decided to set up Cía Deconné as they wanted greater autonomy to explore themes close to them.Their main aim in setting up the theatre was to encourage artists to be fearless, to dive into the unknown, and to take risks. 
Déconne is a phonetic transcription of the French word which means to cross the line, lose control, to play. The central tenet of the founders’ philosophy is to facilitate exploration beyond risks, controls, and societal bounds. The four founding principles of their existence are essence, complicity, playing, and stage pleasure. The integration of social change within the realm of the arts propels the theater forward. They believe in having a platform for people with disabilities and people on the margins so they can tell their tales themselves. They believe that awareness of diversity and plurality can bring people closer. Their plays are made to make the audience uncomfortable, to provoke them to think and to bring forth the lived reality of many who do not find their voices otherwise. 
Pepe believes that “To bring diversity to the stage, you have to love it outside,” Their theatre is a testament to his belief. The theatre is a professional, inclusive theatre and believes in creating plays that have subtle drama, and absurd and hilarious comedy. 
They have produced three plays so far - La perspectiva del suricato (The Meerkat’s perspective), Greetings desde los pantanos (Greetings from the Swamps), and Con lo que hemos sío. 
Pepe mentions that it was during his time in Paris that he understood the importance of sensitivity in acting before he approached it from a technical perspective. It was with the lens of theatre and humanity that Cía Deconné came into existence. Both the founders, who are also partners in real life, while united by their love for theatre, bring two unique approaches to the theatre. Rocío is sensitive and expressive, whereas Pepe is structured and driven by objectives. She is in charge of the dramaturgy of the show whereas Pepe handles the production - establishing the phases of the project or the residences. They jointly shoulder the task of determining the technical team and how they will be engaged.They mention that their strength as a couple also translates to their professional life, where they feel more confident in themselves and the theatre. They mention that their professional life seamlessly blends in with their personal life, where their everyday interactions with home are interspersed with shop talk. 
Their first play - Greetings from the Swamp, received the 2012 Murcia’s XX Creajoven Contest first prize for Performing Arts.
Rocío Bernal trained under the famous theatre director, pedagogue, and Circe de Soleil actor Antón Valén. Her other teachers include the notable Norman Taylor. She finds theatre a means to express a wide range of small and meta understandings of the world. For ten years (out of her professional experience of working in Murcia for 20 years), she worked on three street theatre productions at Nacho Vilar Productions, directed by Antón Valén. Rocío Bernal won two Azahar Awards, one for her role as a supporting actress in Enrique IV by Teatro de la Entrega (2019) and the other for best actress for Married Farewell for Doble K Teatro Despedida de casada (2021).
Pepe Galera won the Creajoven contest twice in the region of Murcia, for his work - Platos Rotos and Greetings from the Swamp (Greetings desde los pantanos). He also won the Azahar Best Director award for his work - La Perspectiva del Suricato (The Meerkat’s Perspective) in 2021. One of his projects early on, Postcards for a Child, was also the winner of the National Contest of Performing Arts of the Luchana Theaters. It dealt with the theme of social exclusion. Working in inclusive spaces is something that he was exposed to early on. His father was the director of a special needs school for 20 years, and Pepe often attended the school parties that they hosted. He also collaborated with Astrapace on a project called Family Respite, where they cared for people with disabilities on weekends, holidays, etc., to extend a helping hand to overwhelmed families. His first experience working with people with Down syndrome was in Los Alcázares. Thereafter, he participated in the work of other organisations in the domain of inclusion and diversity. Inspite of growing up under his father’s influence, he mentions that his interest in topics like disability and diversity was not forced. He does mention that he is not a social educator, mediator, or psychologist, but he has learned from all of them through the years. He has been successful in assimilating all this learning in his theatrical journey. 
Working theatrically with people on the fringes of society is not new to their theatre company. At Jesús Abandonado Foundation, during their volunteering stint, they were asked if they thought theatre could provide tools to the people the foundation works with. Excited at this prospect, they set out to shape this into reality. While it was initially overwhelming, a micro theatre play was developed where the people confessed how they ended up approaching the foundation. The social workers were amazed as many people earlier were reluctant to share their stories. 
La perspectiva del suricato (The Meerkat’s perspective) is a collaboration between multiple stakeholders like the Association for the Integration of People with Intellectual Disabilities (CEOM), Centro Scenic PupaClown, the Association La Luz de la Verbena, Municipal Auditorium of Beniaján, the ONCE Murcia and the Inclusive Translation Laboratory of the University of Murcia for accuracy, casting, and testing. The creators wanted to make the play as accessible to as large an audience as possible. It had adapted subtitles, audio descriptions, and various audio amplification options. Its cast is a mix of people with and without disabilities. It challenges the perception of “normality”. The play focuses on how diversity adds to the richness of society. Meerkats have a matriarchal social structure. The play imagines that in this way of living, where everyone is allowed to be who they are without judgment, everyone understands that their well-being depends on the well-being of their fellow citizens. Care is the central tenet of such a society. The play’s timing, just as the world was recovering from lockdowns and shutdowns of art spaces, added a level of vulnerability as it was both an artistic and financial bet. The play emphasizes how coexistence should help construct a community that believes in care and recognition.