Santiago: Play Inspired by Homophobic Crime in Colbún Returns to the Stage

El Ciudadano

Original article: Santiago: Obra inspirada en crimen homofóbico en Colbún regresa a la cartelera teatral

Inspired by a passionate homosexual crime that took place in Colbún in 2001, the theatrical production OBCECACIÓN returns to Santiago’s stage as part of DESVIACIONES, the second edition of the Performing Arts and Sexual Dissidence Festival. Produced by Niebla Gestión Cultural, the play explores the violence faced by sexual minorities in rural contexts.

This theatrical piece reconstructs the love story of two men who must keep their relationship secret in a society dominated by patriarchy and social pressure.

Using an immersive scene crafted through set design, projections, and mapping, the performance interrogates how desire is surveilled, punished, and silenced.

In this way, the personal tragedy transforms into a social symptom, prompting reflection on the enduring wounds in Chile’s recent memory.

As its director, Marco Espinoza Quezada, notes, presenting OBCECACIÓN at the DESVIACIONES Festival «is not just a showcase, but a political gesture inscribing itself in a territory of struggle.»

He further emphasized, «This festival serves as a platform for symbolic contention where sexual dissidence is not merely a subject, but a position,» adding that the play «positions itself within that territory, taking a stand against a historical violence that remains prevalent, asserting the political power of what is deemed ‘deviant’, where art can not only illustrate reality but also contest it.»

Niebla Gestión Cultural is a scenic production company based in the Maule Region, dedicated to developing theatrical productions that address contemporary social issues from a territorial perspective. Their projects integrate dramaturgy, scenic design, and audiovisual technologies to explore rural memories and sexual dissidence.

A Real Case

OBCECACIÓN is based on a real case that occurred in a rural setting, where the director states, «homophobic violence is not incidental but structural. The play showcases how heteronormativity not only organizes social life but also punishes its ‘deviation’.»

In this light, by working from a real case, the play «invites the audience to confront a reality that is often made invisible: life in rural areas. Where heterosexual norms are not questioned, they are imposed. Deviating from them can range from systematic micro-violence to murder.»

Thus, OBCECACIÓN presents two individuals, who, confronted with the impossibility of existing within their environment, come to desire their own death or the other’s as their only escape, the director points out.

Event Details

OBCECACIÓN will be performed on Saturday, April 25, at 7:30 PM at the Teatro Camilo Henríquez, located at Amunátegui 31, Santiago.

Tickets are available on a ‘pay what you can’ basis at this link . The performance is intended for audiences aged 16 and above.

Complete programming for the DESVIACIONES 2026 Festival can be found on the website desviaciones.cl and on the festival’s social media @desviacionesfestival and Teatro Sur @teatrosur.chile.