cultural
Grenada, Nicaragua
By: Augusto Cermeno
March 9, 2023
Who was going to say that the feared Somocista Guard barracks would become the place to house young artists who interpret with great feeling passages sprinkled with wisdom and pain, from the Life, Passion and Death of Jesus.
These novice artists are guided, directed by experienced actors, who have rescued what in the colonial city of Granada, Nicaragua, the effort of Teatro Experimental de Obreros de Granada (TEDOG), which will be inherited by Don Cesar Corea Ortiz, the main founder of the Judea.
In an interview with Fernando Grilkys, founder of Judea, he told us that he was invited to participate by Don Cesar, who was the one who stood out and became a pioneer of this group that later became part of a religious tradition in Granada.
He said that he thanks “almighty God for meeting you in good health. Speaking of Judea, through the organization called Teatro Experimental de Obreros Granadinos (TEDOG), Judea was created.
At that time, Fernando was very young, “I was about 23 years old, when I lived in front of the Xalteva church and I remember that Don Armando Castro lived in “El Galillo”, the first Jesus I worked with and Pilate was Raúl de la Rocha y Cordero was San Pedro”.
He said that in front of Pedro Romero’s galley, the “first one I worked with, Armando Castro, was rehearsing. He was studying and they asked me if I could accompany them and I accompanied them ”.
“Gustavo Duarte, lived on Primera Calle Sur Xalteva, who returned to Judea, in his house, in front of Los Jarquines, which was called “El Club Águilas de Oriente”, I am speaking to you back in the years 58, 59, Pilate was a brother with the last name Guillen” history Fernando.
He added that “with Don Cesar Corea Ortiz, the founder, with whom we worked in the CGT (i), which was left of the Colonial Una Cuadra to the south. Cesar Corea and several others work there; Gustavo Ramírez, like Judas… Later, Don Cesar set about founding the TEDOG, because in Granada it was forbidden to take Judea out into the street”.
It indicates that “the person who obtains the permission to take Judea out onto the street is Don César Corea Ortiz, already with the name of TEDOG. The Priest Hombach, authorized Judea in Granada. And it was when we left San Francisco to La Pólvora”.
Fernando Grilkys: “It is not the Judea of the Koreas, it is the Judea of the Grenadians”
Fernando Grilkys, one of the pioneers of Judea, made it very clear that Judea “is the Judea of the Grenadians, it is not the Judea of the Corea, because the Grenadians say the Judea of and it is not like that.”
He assures that Judea “is the first Judea in the country, the oldest in the country.” He acknowledges that in the formation of “this artistic effort, Mr. Cesar Corea Ortiz, being the Corea family that has been involved, as well as Mrs. Conchita Ochoa.” He considers that all the effort made by the Corea, they did for Granada and it has become a tradition ”,
“We all know that Judea is an immortal work of all time and belongs to Granada. But we cannot forget and recognize that the idea was don César and it was founded as in 1961. It has years”.
He said that in the dramatic picture of Judea, there are still 4 founders. “In the presentation that we are going to do on these holy days, we place our trust in young people, new actors and actresses. We old artists are: Antonio Corea, like Caifás; Cesar González Trujillo, Horacio Castillo, “El Diablo” and Fernando Grilkys, as Pilate”
Fernando says that there is a boy who wants to play the role of Pilate and “I have told him that with the little that I know, I can train him.” He remembered old times in Judea, of the old artists, like Alejandro Parodi González, and other very good actors and actresses. In 40 years of experience I have played Caifás, Centurion and Pilatos”.
Fernando Grilkys: In Judea there was never a Board of Directors, now there is
In this new stage of Judea, due to special circumstances, at a time when someone was required to do everything necessary to organize it, “it was Don Cesar Corea Ortiz, who did everything to assemble the dramatic scene and bring to the people of Granada what which has now become a Granada tradition at Easter time”.
Even, Adds Grilkys, “It was Don Cesar Corea who obtained permission to take Judea out to Las Calles, with the permission of the bishop at that time. This is because the religious authorities forbade this new theatrical show to take place in the streets”. But that was reversed “through the efforts of Don Cesar Corea Ortiz,” admits Grilkys.
In these times, “Don Cesar, before organizing the Judea, organized the Experimental Theater of Workers and Peasants (TEDOG), with the idea of later creating the Judea,” recalls Grilkys.
The democratization of TEDOG and Judea
The step that has been taken so far, to organize a board of directors, “is a step of quality, and greater credibility of the organization of Judea”, commented Grilkys and assured that it is going to enter a stage of great development of the same, development of the most qualified theatrical group.
directive
Fernando announced the constitution of the Board of Directors of TEDOG and Judea:
- Marcela Montenegro, President
- Joseph Campbell, Vice President
- Javiera Núñez, Secretary
- Danilo Brenes, Prosecutor
- Roberto Barrera, Treasurer
- Spokesmen: Ibis Korea, Cesar Gonzalez, Eddy Campbell and Fernando Grilkys
“Today we have a directive and we consider that Judea is not only from Granada, it is from all of Nicaragua. We have performed in La Paz Centro, Ingenio San Antonio, Acoyapa, Chichigalpa, at the Teatro Carpa, Palacio de la Cultura and we have shown that we are the best in performing this monumental, immortal work of all time: Life, Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ”, he highlighted.
He said that now they are showing Judea in Juigalpa and that they have performed at the Teatro San Francisco de Asis, run by the Franciscans.
Judea is nobody’s business: “We never charge a single penny,” says F. Grilkys.
According to statements by Mr. Fernando Grilkys, Judea is a non-profit organization, “because we do not charge a single penny for our presentations. Those who request our performance in other departments, we only ask for transportation and food for all the artists. It is what Don César asked for, nothing more”.
He recalled that on one occasion “Don César Tenorio, a pitcher from Rivas, invited us and asked how much it was worth and was told nothing, just transportation and food.”
Finally, he regretted that “one of the old artists died on us, it is Pedro Pablo Téllez, who played the role of Judas and Samuel.