“El Socavón de Guapulo”

“El Socavon de Guapulo” theatre foundation was born from the ideas and dreams of its creators, Cristina Morrison and Juan Carlos Teran. Cristina returned to Ecuador in 1993 after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and worked in some TV projects and soon after realized that there was a need for a new creative space in the city where artists could have and alternative, magical, and efficient place to fall back on and where, ultimately, she could also produce and perform. She met Juan Carlos Teran and it seemed that they were both on the same page so they set out on a partnership and decided to take on this cultural adventure. Morrison would take charge of the executive side and Juan Carlos of the artistic. Their plan was to involve private companies as their “patrons” and in return they would have promotion in all of the theatre’s productions. Some companies were were also invited to sit on the board.

So, while Cristina started remodeling and furnishing the warehouse they had found in the bohemian neighborhood of Guapulo, funds would slowly come in so as to finish the job. To help raise funds, they also organized a yearly art auction named “Art produces Art” where painters gave the foundation a percentage of the auction sales.

So after nearly two years in the making, in November of 1996 Quito’s Mayor, Yamil Mahuad, was invited as the guest of honor at the opening of the 110 seat theatre and Café where a number of actors took over the stage for the first time. “El Socavon de Guapulo” worked uninterruptedly for seven years.

It also lived off the box-office where plays, concerts, festivals and children’s theatre were on the playbill. Morrison performed with her jazz band numerous times and was on stage with her Beckett monologue, “First Love”, as well as being a continuous board member.

The Theatre foundation reached its life cycle in 2003.

The main reason being that a cultural non-profit organization, especially in South America, is a very hard task to maintain.

Nowadays, “El Socavon” remains in the minds of many Ecuadorians as well as in the artists that set foot on its stage. One thing that the foundation’s creators feel is that dreams do come true.