Peruvian director Mariana de Althaus will premiere her new play Las aulas celestes on October 8 at the Alianza Francesa cultural center in Miraflores.
The stage production is an adaptation of the first part of El principio del mundo, a novel written by Jeremías Gamboa. Actors Daniel Cano and Herbert Corimanya star in the leading roles, joined by cast members Verony Centeno and Kiara Quispe.
De Althaus explained that Gamboa granted her complete dramaturgical freedom to adapt the text, leading her to create a theatrical version with a different ending. She noted that this project marks the first time she has staged an adaptation of a work by a living author who is also a member of her family.
The narrative opens in March 1980 in Lima, following a character named Manuel who describes his first day at a public school as the most important moment of his life. Despite the severe structural shortcomings of the educational system, Manuel recalls dedicated teachers who served as guiding lights during his upbringing.
During his school years, Manuel participates in theatrical performances depicting historical hero Francisco Bolognesi, his classmate Sabino, and the fictional figure Juan de la Cruz Salvo. However, his memories are also marked by a painful rejection of his own cultural origins.
During rehearsals, De Althaus observed that the story reflects a persistent social pressure toward self-aversion. She noted that society imposes an implicit mandate on individuals to whiten themselves and obscure their heritage as much as possible.
Struggles Inside Peruvian Classrooms
Las aulas celestes portrays systemic failures across decades of Peruvian public education. The play depicts the arrival of untrained teachers who secured positions through membership cards from the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance, known as APRA, alongside classrooms left entirely without educators during the administration of former president Alberto Fujimori.
The production examines widespread issues affecting students, including dilapidated infrastructure, sexual harassment, malnutrition, racial discrimination, and a lack of economic opportunities. De Althaus stated that discussing these conditions remains urgently necessary because educational quality in Peru has continued to decline rather than improve.
She highlighted recent results from the Programme for International Student Assessment, known as the PISA exam, which showed that Peru fell back by a full decade. She added that examining public schools during the first administration of former president Alan García highlights the period when the most severe decline began, leaving public education in total abandonment.
To explore the role of educators, De Althaus selected three distinct teacher profiles from Gamboa's novel. The first figure, named Marina, brings hope to the classroom, while a second group consists of incompetent teachers, including an instructor who introduces highly questionable grading standards.
A third, inspiring teacher figure validates the students and encourages them to pursue their ambitions. De Althaus noted that many real-world teachers damaged the self-esteem of young people by failing to assure them that they had a future or the right to dream.
Despite the heavy themes, the play incorporates humor to soften the dark reality of educational abandonment. De Althaus credited Gamboa with depicting disastrous circumstances with warmth and wit, allowing the production to address systemic neglect without descending into total gloom.
Racial Identity and Historical Inequality
The production directly confronts social prejudices in a scene where Sabino asks Manuel if he is from the Andean highlands. Although Manuel is the child of parents from the Ayacucho region, he hesitates to answer due to the stigma attached to indigenous origins.
De Althaus stated that racism in Peru represents the deepening of an enduring historical wound rather than mere personal hostility based on skin color. She explained that true racism reinforces a structural system that has historically denigrated and subjected non-white populations to violence.
She dismissed the concept of reverse racism, arguing that prejudice directed against white individuals does not constitute racism because it does not reinforce historical inequality or deepen systemic wounds. Instead, she described such reactions as responses to an unfair system that privileges white citizens, even though white people account for only six percent of the population in Peru.
De Althaus acknowledged that Peru remains a deeply classist society where privileged demographics retain the majority of opportunities. She shared that she has occasionally faced skepticism from groups who questioned her legitimacy to address these topics, adding that she fully understands why people judge her based on social stereotypes.
Political Context and Artistic Freedom
The premiere of Las aulas celestes comes at a moment of intense public debate over cultural institutions in Peru, including scrutiny surrounding the Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion, known as the LUM. De Althaus noted that these attacks stem from political efforts to enforce an official narrative that suppresses critical questioning.
Reflecting on her youth, De Althaus recalled the emotional impact of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which opened vital spaces for national reflection. She expressed concern that Peru may be entering a darker political phase, describing history as cyclical while expressing hope for an eventual return to openness.
She criticized political factions that attempt to group the political left and center together to blame them for the national crisis. She stated that political instability escalated significantly over the past decade after political leader Keiko Fujimori led efforts that forced former president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski from office.
Connecting Audiences Through Theatre
Addressing changes in theatre attendance, De Althaus remarked lightheartedly that she may have lost a segment of her traditional audience. She observed a growing public demand for light entertainment and comedies that avoid uncomfortable questions or self-scrutiny.
Despite these shifting preferences, she emphasized her commitment to creating theatre that challenges viewers. She stated that as an artist and citizen, she feels a heavy responsibility not to widen social divisions, but rather to bring diverse groups into dialogue.
De Althaus expressed a desire to attract public school students, alumni of elite private academies, and individuals holding rigid prejudices to her plays. She urged skeptical viewers to attend, listen, and allow themselves to be challenged by the performance.
The director previously explored educational inequality in her 2023 documentary play La vida en otros planetas. That project focused on rural education and was developed after studying research by Daniela Rotalde del Río in her book Desde el corazón de la educación rural and conducting extensive interviews with teachers.
De Althaus recalled that audiences in 2023 were deeply moved by the stark divide between social realities in Peru, comparing the experience to visiting entirely different planets.
