Widespread blackouts in Cuba have become increasingly common since the US imposed energy sanctions in January, with outages frequently surpassing 24 hours as the ageing grid fails. The Impulso theatre group in Havana has had to adapt as power cuts pose severe challenges for the performing arts.
Staging plays without power
The group staged the play Ensueño without electricity at the La Casona de Línea theatre. Actors rehearsed amid the gloom, with LED candles ready for the evening performance. The musician Kairo Rodriguez played the double bass during a rehearsal, and the actor Silvia Fernández inserted batteries into LED candles.
Cast members mopped the entrance to the theatre before an evening performance, and clothing and props filled a dimly lit dressing room. Cecilia Ruiz applied makeup to the actor Bitia Zamaral by natural light from a window, while behind them the room was shrouded in darkness.
Adapting to the darkness
Actors made the most of daylight hours, though the historic theatre building does not let in much light. The cast included the actor Carlos Perez, 88. Playgoers walked past torches that illuminated the theatre's entrance and formed part of the stage set, and an actor lit the entrance to the stage with a candlestick.
Unbeknown to the audience, the actor Say Albravo waited in the wings before taking to the stage. A moped passing in front of the theatre provided a fleeting beam of light amid the darkness.
