What’s on in Bogota theatre

Las Analfabetas
Ximena is an illiterate woman who hires Jacqueline to teach her how to read, so that she can finally read the letter her father left when he disappeared. Ximena asks Jacqueline, a young, shy teacher who is unsure of her vocation, to read her the paper every day. Despite Ximena’s stubbornness and Jacqueline’s lack of confidence, the two women end up forming a deep relationship which both will learn from.
Teatro Casa E, Carrera 24 #41-69, Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm, From January 29

A 2.50 La Cubalibre
Five ladies of the night sit in a bar in Bogota recounting their deepest frustrations, cravings and anguish. Each tale reveals a different side to the nocturnal life: the beautiful woman, constantly pestered, who secretly dreams of finding her Prince Charming to save her from her misery; the woman who can’t decide between money and the easy life; the mother, abandoned during pregnancy; the ambitious businesswoman who negotiates with other people’s bodies; and the depressed girl in the middle of a crisis.
Teatro Casa E, Carrera 24 #41-69, Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm, Sundays at 6pm, Until February 15

Bobby Comedia & Diego Mateus
Comedia, one of Venezuela’s most famed comics, takes us on a journey through the lifespan of a human, from being a sperm to the moment you go ‘kaput’. He has performed throughout Latin America and the United States, as well as appearing on Comedy Central and representing his country at the International Festival of Humour in 2011. Diego Mateus’ direct and uncensored comedy stylings satirise and criticise everything from smog and living in the city to rock music and family. Part of RCN’s ‘Los Comediantes de la Noche’ team.
La Comedia Teatro, Carrera 49 #96-06, Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, additional Saturday showing at 6pm, Until February 28

Las Ejecutivas
Three women — one married, one single and one separated — work for the same company and, despite their competence and dedication in the workplace, their lives are dominated by personal issues. Married Susana has two young daughters and a husband, Leo, who has feelings of insecurity and jealousy towards Susana, who earns considerably more. Separated Adelaida has trouble coming to terms with her son Federico’s adolescence. Having been abandoned by his father for a younger woman, she fears he will soon fall in love and leave her too. Single Maria Helena dreams of getting married and starting a family but has not yet found Mr. Right. She is seeing a married man who promises her heaven and earth, but never delivers. In this light-hearted and amusing play, the three women work hard to stop their lives descending into total disaster.
Teatro Santa Fe, Calle 57 #17-13, Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, Sundays at 6pm, Until March 8

Striptease
Striptease is the second part of the Lola Arias trilogy, this time taking a journey into protagonist Julian’s past. A man who can’t accept the end, a woman whose only certainty is that the end has arrived, and in between them, a mute witness, a baby. Entrance costs $20,000.
Cine Tonala, Carrera 6 #35-37, Thursday-Saturday at 7.30pm (except Saturday February 14), Until February 28

Ni contigo ni sin ti
Breaking up is hard, especially when two people are made for each other. Mixing comedy with a number of sad scenes, the audience gets to know Esteban and Alicia, who try to break up but it’s not so easy. A series of desperate measures ensue, including a hapless marriage attempt, as the couple tries to save their relationship.
Teatro Nacional Fanny Mikey, Calle 71 #10-25, Wednesday-Friday at 8.30pm, Until March 6

Veneno
A black comedy in which the friendship of three women is only masking a deplorable but very human feeling — envy. Together to celebrate Maria’s literary achievement, they end up locked in an apartment until they can find a resolution.
Teatro Casa E, Carrera 24 #41-69, Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, Until March 7

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
An adaptation in Spanish of Mark Twain’s famous book, aimed at children and adults alike. Switching Middle America for rural 1950s Colombia, with its cultural nuances and specific fashion, this play offers a mix between the everyday and fantasy.
Teatro La Castellana, Calle 95 #47-15, Sundays at 11.30am, Until March 29