ATLAS is a initiative by Paula Isiegas and Gabriel Molina, as a response of their need of a international ensemble that could embody different projects developed in different countries. They are the main driving force of the ensemble.
Paula and Gabriel met during their studies in the Institut del Teatre of Barcelona. There they create a company, Cia. Criatures, where they work since 2008 and that nowadays is still devoted to theater projects in Spain. Within it they developped different perfomances, all with the common features of creative process and physical theater.
ATLAS borns as a nomad group, gathering artists working with body movement of different nationalities, that can move, work and create all around the world. The number of artists can change from one project to another, as each project is a piece that works independently.
The projects are developed as directed collective creations. The work principles are rigor, technical precision, exploration of rhythm and objects in relation with the body and space, combination, and above all a deep dive in the creative process. Departure point are creation proposals that can come from an image, text or object. Creative proceses are characterized by the use of work frames and setting limits the artists have to face and overcome. The pieces look for innovative staging, precision in the movement, combination of techniques and languages, subtlety in the acting. They aim to be enjoyed and reachable to everybody, all over the world. For this its usual to work without spoken text, using body and movement as expressive tool. Artists combine their wide variety of resources; physical theater, dance and circus, to enrich both each others and their performances.
ATLAS first project was “Skyline, it ́s up there!” a mute comedy based in the building of a skyscraper in the earlythirties. It combines pantomime, dance theater, slapstick and circus. A first version of Skyline was presented in collaboration with Escénica center of Andalucía in Granada, in July 2013.
Since 2013, Paula and Gabriel are members of the Antwerp Mime Studio.
Paula Isiegas
Actress and Director born in Zaragoza in 1983, resident in Brussels.
Graduated in Physical and Puppets Theater at the Institut del Teatre de Barcelona. Since 2008 she’s founder member of Cia. Criatures, company with which she has created and directed different shows of physical theater, from street theater as "Thou Shalt Not Kill", produced by CAER, to stage theater as "The art of flying". For further information, please visit Cia. Criatures In 2013 she founds ATLAS Theater, a group gathering artists of different nationalities, where she works as a creator, both directing and acting. The first creation of this ensemble is “Skyline, it ́s up there!” directed by her.
As an actress she collaborates with different projects related to theater, opera, film and TV. Since 2011, combines her work in Spain and Belgium with intermittent stays in Denmark, where she works as a collaborator of Odin Teatret.
Gabriel Molina
Actor born in Valencia, 13 May 1985, resident in Brussels.
Graduated in physical and objects theater by the Institut del Teatre de Barcelona. Founder and member of Atlas Theater, Criatures, and La Pulpe Teatro.
He started his research in corporeal mime in MOVEO (International School of Corporeal Mime of Barcelona) and he got specialized in France with Thomas Leabhart and at London with l’Ange Fou mime company. He had worked in Spain, France, Belgium and Greece, where he led courses of physical expression and mime in the University of Peloponnese. He creates his own performances as well as work for another companies; whether it may be as actor; in shows such as “RIP” and “Esta linda la mar” (winner’s of the Audience Prize in the XIV and XVII Mostra de Teatre de Barcelona) and physical actor in shows as "Skyline, it's up there!" and "No Matarás".
Nowadays in Belgium, he joins the Antwerp Mime Studio and combines his activity there with working as actor in several tv series (Eden) comercials (Heineken, Jupiler), Operas (Fidelio, Aida), and films (The kidnaping of Freddy Heineken, Le French). For more information: www.gabrielmolina.info