The best of off-theatre in Buenos Aires

When an independent play runs for 10 seasons, it’s undoubtedly a classic. Set in a hotel in a small town in Argentina’s littoral region, it believes in miracles; its protagonists are people who wait. They wait for everything: a change of life, a love relationship, a better future. And all believe in the miracles of “La Pilarcita,” a popular saint to whom one must offer a small specially made doll for the miracle to come true.

It is one of those delightful plays, with a profound and empathetic text, in which the audience is taken by hand through various emotions: from laughter to nostalgia, from nostalgia to sadness… and back to joy. María Marull’s writing and direction immerse you for a little over an hour in the rhythm and pulse of a hot town afternoon, with its melodies, characters, and beliefs.

Where: El Camarín de las Musas. Tickets, here.

With Leonor Manso, Eugenia Guerty, and Carolina Tejeda. Directed by Santiago Loza and Pablo Messiez.

A touching and heartfelt play by Manuel Puig that addresses fundamental themes such as love and the passage of time. Two sisters, Nidia and Luci, pass their hours through gossip about their neighbor Silvia’s loves as if they were stories that enrich life. To laugh, dream, and understand that it’s never too late to chase your own desires.

Where: Hasta Trilce. Tickets, here.

A "dream team" of theatre in a play written by Santiago Loza, starring Mariano Saborido and directed by Juanse Rauch and Valeria Lois. Mario runs a hostel with his mother in a remote southern village. Beyond lies a port that ceased functioning with travelers, sailors, and passersby. There is a return, a farewell, and Mario’s desire to flee forever among the icy sea, burning sensations, chants, and lots of wind.

Where: Dumont4040. Tickets, here.

Directed by Carlos Belloso. Cast: Carlos Belloso, Alejandra Oteiza, Beto Bernuez, Pepe Arias, and Eduardo Marcos.

With Carlos Belloso leading the cast, this comedy follows the story of Pedro, a baker and union leader who, during the Peronist government, is chosen to represent the working class at the Argentine Embassy in the Soviet Union, where he discovers the contradictions and entanglements of the Stalinist regime.

Where: Fridays at Palacio El Victorial, Saturdays at Teatro El Vitral. Tickets here.

With: Delfina Colombo. Directed by: Iván Moschner.

A play that recovers a real event to give way to fiction: Javi trains to cross the Bermejo River that separates Chaco from Formosa. The pandemic leaves him on one side and his wife and little daughter on the other. Now that the moon shines and Yani and Lupe sleep on the opposite shore, swimming is the only way to get back to them — so Javi jumps in.

Where: Teatro El Grito, Costa Rica 5459. Tickets, here.

With: Natalia Pascale, Fito Perez, Darío Serantes. Directed by: Malena Miramontes Boim.

La Maddonita returned to the stage after 3 years of uninterrupted performances with over 100 shows. Written by Mauricio Kartun, the play takes place in the early 20th century in a hot attic in Parque Lezama where a man takes photos of his wife and then sells them among the immigrant working class, highlighting the friction between desire, sex, and poetry.

Where: Itaca Complejo Teatral, Humahuaca 4027. Tickets, here.

Written and directed by María Figueras. With Aymará Abramovich, Ezequiel Baquero, Agustín Daulte, Miguel Ferrería, Mercedes Moltedo, Malena Resino, and the voice of Rafael Spregelburd.

A small shop is living its last days and becomes the makeshift home for a widow and her two children. In their search for happiness, they travel a path full of obstacles, misunderstandings, secrets, and hidden dreams. Who wouldn’t want to go to a place that doesn’t hurt? Is love a form of resistance? These and other questions arise as they coexist with an unsettling presence.

Where: Espacio Callejón, Humahuaca 3759. Tickets, here.

Performed and directed by Martín Flores Cárdenas.

Now in its fourth season, this play—written, directed, and performed by Martín Flores Cárdenas—focuses on a tormented playwright suffering from a creative block, who decides to publicly examine the process of his unfinished work. Where does an artistic piece begin and end? What are the limits of existence and representation? These and other questions arise as he tries to unravel the differences between narrative and fiction.

Where: Casa Teatro Estudio. Tickets, here.

With Juan Luppi and Maxi Zago. Directed by Juan Luppi.

The story of Juan and Maxi, two street comedians hired to host the comeback of two comedy legends after 40 years away. In a neighborhood theater, amid rumors of a talent scout’s presence, the show turns into a chaotic night of sabotage, false identities, and a fierce fight to shine.

Where: Teatro El Tinglado. Tickets, here.

With Roxana Randón, Adabel Guerrero, Manuel Novoa, and Gonzalo Villanueva. Directed by Alejandro Magnone.

A powerful and emotional drama that deeply questions the most sacred bonds: family. Through a seemingly simple situation—a family visit—a web of secrets, mandates, silences, and fractures unfolds, bursting what’s left unspoken. What happens when what comes from outside not only unsettles but transforms forever?

Where: Teatro El Tinglado. Tickets, here.

By the company Toia&Callaci of Agustina Toia and Severio Calacci.

Third season in Buenos Aires for this play that was acclaimed at international festivals. A journey through women who fought for their ideals and marked the course of history with a common denominator: their name. Juana Manso, Juana the Mad, Joan of Arc, Pope Joan Giovanna Marturano, Juana de Ibarbouru, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz inspire us with their struggle and passion.

Where: Jean Jaures 858, La Carpinteria. Tickets, here.

With Tony Lestingi, Pablo Mariuzzi, Natacha Delgado. Directed by Andrés Bazzalo.

A dramedy that tells the story of a family reunion forced by circumstances when Pablo returns to Buenos Aires after many years. With humor, tenderness, and a good dose of conflict, the play offers a compassionate look at family bonds and the legacies that live within us—both those that hurt and those that enlighten.

Where: Hasta Trilce. Tickets, here.

By Martín Flores Cárdenas, starring Laura Lopez Moyano.

A piece as unsettling as it is provocative, inviting reflection on friendship and its foundations. What brings us closer to—or drives us apart from—those we choose in our lives? What keeps a bond of years intact? With humor and raw honesty, the play serves as a tribute to friendship while attempting to unravel the invisible threads that sustain the connection between two people.

Where: Casa Teatro Estudio. Tickets, here.

With Ana Rodriguez Arana and Sylvia Tavcar. Directed by Andrea Giglio.

A theatrical piece exploring different approaches and experiences of love when a theater director tries to persuade a poet to grant the rights to a play about a romantic story. After a first meeting, the line between fiction and reality begins to blur, and the play’s plot unfolds simultaneously with its writing and performance.

Where: Ítaca Complejo Teatral. Tickets, here.

With Matías Broglia and Pedro Rissi. Directed by Adriana Roffi.

An absurd satire with disarming humor and surprising twists about the desire to “belong” and be part of a tribe at any cost. Two ordinary guys face off in a corrosive piece focused on polarization and abuse in humanity.

Where: Espacio Callejón. Tickets, here.