‘Tarragona’ Takes You Away

by Kent Wien on
Performing in its last week at New York’s WorkShop Theater Company is a comedy called “Tarragona.” It’s a play about a confined office worker’s transformation after being drawn to a new lover and subsequently discovering the freedom that traveling offers.
It’s a cross between “Eat, Pray, Love” and “There’s Something About Mary” and with tickets just $18, it’s something you shouldn’t miss if you’re in New York this week.
We were convinced the moment we watched the trailer:

As if the talented cast and witty dialogue wasn’t enough, after the show the actors, writer and director invited the audience to join them for an on-stage party as a fund raiser for the WorkShop Theater Company. Sangria was served by Lidia Ornero from Barcelona who nailed the part of Christina. If offered, I highly recommend this chance to meet the cast.

So if you can’t get to Tarragona, Spain anytime soon, you may enjoy this production as a way to escape from your own job.
[Photo credit: author]

Video Of The Day: Human Towers In Tarragona, Spain

by Libby Zay on

Spain has a multitude of novel traditions. While bullfighting and tomato throwing festivals are known worldwide, there’s another custom that isn’t as widely recognized. Throughout Catalonia, people who create human towers – also known as castellers – compete to see who can create the tallest human pyramids. Only these flesh-and-muscle structures aren’t really pyramids at all; they are single and multiple-tiered assemblages that are supposed to resemble castles. The Catalan tradition is said to have begun in the 18th century, and today it is still going strong. These castells have a bulky, sturdy bottom with several layers, usually culminating with a small child on top.

As you’ll see in the video above by Mike Randolph from a recent festival in Tarragona, Spain, being a casteller can end in tumbles and falls. In fact, in the sport’s history, two castellers have died – one in 1983 and another more recently in 2006. Although it can be risky, the practice is considered sacred; the knowledge required for raising castells is traditionally passed down from generation to generation, much like gondoliering in Venice, Italy. In fact, UNESCO considers castellers to be amongst the “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”