Guimerá Theatre by Olivia M. Stone

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Literature · Subcategory: Literary fragments · Year: 1883 · Authors: Olivia M. Stone

The British traveller of Irish origin Olivia Mary Stone was in the Islands between September 1883 and February of the following year. During these almost six months she wrote the book Tenerife y sus seis satélites , published in English in 1887. It is a work that holds an exceptional place in the extensive travel literature about the Archipelago due to its engaging narrative, its incessant curiosity, and the account it contains about various aspects of the culture and social reality of the Canary Islands at the end of the 19th century.

Regarding Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the author describes very interesting aspects of the city. In this case, we will refer to her impressions of the interior of the Municipal Theatre, which would later be called "Guimerá": 

“The theatre is large and, I am told, has excellent acoustics. At this moment it looks rather bleak since, with no company, the interior is completely empty. This is due to an existing custom whereby the boxes are rented for the whole season, for a price between fifty and sixty dollars each. The box tenant brings their own furniture, the curtains for the door – none are used in front –, the carpet and the chairs. The boxes are so well designed that eight or ten people can sit in them and all have a good view. The lower part of the building is entirely occupied by stalls, priced at one shilling per night. To these prices must be added the cost of the ticket, equivalent to one peseta (ten pence) per person, whether or not they have a season ticket or box. The theatre has a capacity of nine hundred people. The stage is spacious and quite deep; the sets are, of course, very poor since, generally, companies bring their own scenery. The usual refreshments are offered, although light dinners based on eggs or other light food can also be obtained. The decoration is white and gold.”

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