‘We are a country with a very big double standard, we are not used to talking about bad things’: writer Amalia Andrade on the mental health of Colombians

We all have a to-do list in life. Amalia Andrade was able to cross out those of being a writer, journalist and illustrator and, from next February 14, she will also do so with that of being theater actress‘. The 38-year-old from Cali will take the stage presenting “All wonderful things”adaptation of “Every shiny thing, the hit monologue written by Brits Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe.

in dialogue with GlobeLiveMedia Colombia, Amalia Andrade revealed some details about the topics he covers in this play, why he decided this monologue should be his theatrical debut and the preparation he made for the 12 dates that you have already programmed in the pineapple studyin Bogotá, including eight in sell.

Every shiny thing is an internationally acclaimed monologue, known for the way it tackles sensitive mental health issues such as depression and suicide. This is precisely the main reason why Amalia Andrade he thinks it’s the best way to break into the theatre. “I don’t think I would have done it with any other job. It’s a monologue that talks about Mental Health and I think that the points of communion that this work has with my work are numerous”.

You are seven years old. One day, dad picks you up from school to take you to a clinic where mom is. She says she did something stupid. You struggle to find reasons to be happy. In a perfect balance between evoking the complexities of life and celebrating all that is beautiful in it.

Refer to synopsis of all the wonderful things gives a taste of what attendees will see on stage, but as it highlights Amalia“It’s hard to explain until they’ve seen it…it’s for anyone, it’s important to clarify that it’s for those over 16, but it’s for everyone because the center of the work is life itself.”

Andrade is recognized by titles such as You always change the love of your life there The things you think about when you bite your nails, books in which she addresses mental health issues that have been considered taboo in Colombian society, with a particular humor and her own handwriting that have made her a reference. Now she will speak to the same subjects standing at the center of a 360° stage with a work that also claims to be partially interactive.

The play is directed by the actor Etienne Godoy And, as Andrade recalled, the idea of ​​bringing the adaptation to the Spanish and Latin American market was born after seeing the work in its original language. “I saw the work, I was deeply moved and I’ve always had the greatest fortune of my life is having friends in the middle… we had coffee and that’s that’s how the best ideas are born, talking with friends.”

address the Mental Health of different fields of art is a subject which, for Amalia Andrade This is extremely important, because he assures that it is a way to “generate a transformation in society”, especially in Colombian society, where going to therapy is seen less and less as a problem.

“Art transforms people and the soul, it sounds corny, but that’s how it is, and mental health is a very important issue for Colombian society. We are a country that has seen a lot of violence, that we have been through a lot of trauma and a lot of oppression, but we speak very little; It is a country with a very high double standard, because we are not used to talking about evil“, underlines the writer.

Amalia Andrade He hopes everyone who sees his work will walk away thinking “that the most amazing things in life are the little things, and they’re what keep us here.” Regarding his preparation, he stresses that it was not easy but that he received the support of his friends in the community; He also explains that because he has no professional training, he would not be measured to participate in a play with other comedians.

“The question is not to be an actress, the question is to speak about the subjects which fascinate me but from new places”, underlined Amalia Andrade.

Since the announcement was made on social media, they have opened eight functions of all the wonderful things in the pineapple study of national theater. Within days all dates were sold out and by public demand they were activated four morefor which those interested can always buy tickets on the official website of the National Theater.

On this reaction of the public, without yet presenting the first work, Amalia Andrade He pointed out that “I feel very lucky that people are excited. For me it’s very important, precisely because it’s a completely new project where I’m doing something that I’ve never done before, which get out of my comfort zone. I think it’s good that my work has a certain meaning for people to say like ‘the writer wanted to do theatre, let’s see him’”.