INoticias.CL | After More Than a Decade, «Hilda Peña» Returns to the Stage for a Brief Season at Teatro ICTUS

After More Than a Decade, «Hilda Peña» Returns to the Stage for a Brief Season at Teatro ICTUS

El Ciudadano

Original article: Tras más de una década de circulación nacional e internacional: «Hilda Peña» vuelve a las tablas con una breve temporada en Teatro ICTUS

Winner of the XVI National Playwriting Showcase in the emerging category and the Santiago Municipal Award for Playwriting in 2015, «Hilda Peña» makes a triumphant return to Teatro ICTUS after eight years.

This production has established itself as a significant work in contemporary Chilean theater, with performances in renowned spaces and festivals both in Chile and abroad.

Written by Isidora Stevenson, directed by Aliocha De la Sotta, and featuring acclaimed actress Paula Zúñiga, the play presents a powerful and poignant monologue that delves into themes of memory, loss, and the inevitability of death through an intimate and disturbing narrative. It constructs an austere yet deeply emotional theatrical language, focusing on the interpretative strength and the power of words.

The story is set in the 1990s, during a major robbery at the O’Higgins Bank in Faro de Apoquindo that results in eight fatalities, one of whom is Hilda Peña’s adoptive son. From that moment on, grief takes over her life. The woman grapples with the death of her child while attempting to piece together the story that binds them, intertwining her mourning with the unofficial narrative of the transition to democracy.

“Returning to perform Hilda Peña is about re-engaging the audience’s emotions. It is a journey and a gift for an interpreter, as there is a stirring that shakes both the heart and mind when we do theater,” says the actress.

“The play prompts us to ask fundamental questions during times of mourning. People disappear, and these injustices create voids in the soul that become embedded in common hearts. Hilda invites us to question what exists beyond earthly life once physical death occurs,” adds Paula Zúñiga.

A Long Journey

Since its premiere, «Hilda Peña» has visited numerous cultural venues across Chile, such as Matucana 100, GAM, Teatro UC, and festivals like FITAM, Cielos del Infinito, and FAE Lima, in addition to performances in Argentina and Uruguay. The text has been translated into English and Portuguese and has seen new international stage versions, solidifying its relevance and reach.

In 2026, the piece will reconnect with audiences in a special season at Teatro ICTUS: “Being on this stage sharing energy with many people I admire is the true privilege of life, and I take it with a great deal of stage responsibility,” says Paula Zúñiga.

“ICTUS is a place that still maintains a niche for present culture, a space of resistance for meaningful art, deeply rooted in its origin, created with love and companionship that continues to transcend,” added the lead actress.

This new season of «Hilda Peña» reaffirms its place as an essential work for understanding the tensions between the intimate and the political in contemporary Chile.

Details

Season
May 3 to 31 | Sundays
7:00 PM
Teatro ICTUS, Merced 349, Barrio Lastarria, Santiago
Tickets available through Ticketplus
Prices: General: $15,000 – Student and seniors: $7,500

Artistic Credits
Playwright: Isidora Stevenson
Director: Aliocha De la Sotta
Actress: Paula Zúñiga
Integrated Design: Rocío Hernández
Music: Fernando Milagros
Production: Francesca Ceccotti