Mónica Calle's Struggles: The Fight for a Permanent Space Amidst Promised Renovations

Mónica Calle's New Show and the Quest for a Home

The new show “The Women We Won't See Twice - An Essay on Minetti, Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man” is set to run for 11 performances at various venues including ZDB 8 Marvila, Drama Bar, and the CAL - Centro de Artes de Lisboa, concluding in January 2025.

The Waiting Game for Casa Conveniente

Mónica Calle, the actress and director, has been waiting for promised renovations from the Lisbon City Hall, which were supposed to take place in 2020-2021 but have yet to materialize. The change in city council leadership in the September 2021 elections led to a complete halt in progress, effectively putting everything back to square one.

Currently, the headquarters of Casa Conveniente, which Calle founded in 1992, remains windowless and boarded up, reduced to a small corridor used only as storage due to the unfulfilled renovation promises.

A Long History of Displacement

Calle's struggles with finding a permanent workspace are not new. In 2014, after more than 20 years of activity, she had to leave her location in Cais do Sodré due to rising real estate speculation. After moving to Chelas, the space was initially granted by the city, but it was closed in 2020 with promises of renovations that never came to fruition.

The Impact of Tragedy

The murder of actor Bruno Candé in July 2020, which marked the first hate crime conviction in Portugal, further disheartened Calle and her team, complicating their situation in Chelas. The new city government under Carlos Moedas has not provided any concrete solutions since taking office.

Continuing the Artistic Journey

Despite these challenges, Casa Conveniente continues to create performances and maintain community engagement, producing shows like “This Darkness That Illuminates You” and “This Is My Body – Four Solos by Mónica Calle.” Calle has been awaiting the city council's action since February, but with no results yet.

Upcoming Performances

The performances of “The Women We Won't See Twice” are scheduled as follows:

• ZDB 8 Marvila: December 2-5
• Drama Bar: December 9-12
• CAL – Centro de Artes de Lisboa: January 22-24, 2025. All shows start at 19:00.

Challenges for Other Theaters

Simultaneously, other theater companies like Artistas Unidos are also facing challenges, having been evicted from their venue, and are awaiting solutions from the city council to continue their two-decade-long work. They currently have a show titled “Strong Wind” running at Teatro Variedades.