At a press conference, the organizing committee announced that also on hand during the event, set for May 9th through the 18th, will be Mexican actress Ofelia Medina and Ecuadorian Wilson Pico - pioneer of modern dance in his country.

During the Havana event, Pico will perform his monolog 'Los materiales de la ira y el amor, which focuses on women, their anxieties and dreams, as well as their performance within society.

Mexican Ofelia Medina, for her part, will present her play 'Íntimamente, Rosario de Chiapas --a tribute to writer, poet, novelist and playwright Rosario Castellanos.

Colombian Santiago García and his theatre group La Candelaria will stage the play 'Antígona and the Ecuadorian group Malayerba will stage 'La muchacha de los libros usados and 'La razón blindada.

Other invited theatre groups that will participate for the first time at the Havana event include the Brazilian company Udi Grudi, founded in 1982 -the main feature of which is the use of musical instruments made out of recycled materials.

Also on hand will be the Mexican group La máquina de teatro with the play 'Nezahualcóyotl and Puerto Rican actor Teófilo Torres with his monologs 'A mis amigos de la locura and 'Papo Impala está quitao.

The theatre event will be held in six venues distributed island wide, from the westernmost province of Pinar del Río to the easternmost province of Guatánamo.

The program includes 59 performances -39 of them in Havana.

According to the organizers, a special moment during the event will be a tribute to one of Cubas most prestigious theatre companies, Teatro Escambray, founded in 1968 by late actor Sergio Corrieri. The group, directed by Rafael González, will be granted the 'Gallo de La Habana prize, set up by the Casa de las Americas in 1966.

(Cubarte)