Interview with Aldo D’Ibaños and Jonathan Bella Luto

Sponsored by Blue Book Theatre Co.

Founded in 2022, Blue Book Theatre Company is a multicultural theatre company producing international plays in Barcelona in English, offering a space where performing arts students and professional actors can put their skills to work.

Acting is something similar to going to the gym—it takes dedication. Actors have to really work hard to stay open, clear, honest and vulnerable to the beautiful process that is required for character and stage work. They need to be constantly exercising their skills through communicating, rehearsing and practicing, using their voices and bodies as tools to live, grow, express and explore through other characters.

The Company works in English because it is the common language of a diverse group of creators from around the world, including Catalunya, Georgia, Brazil, the Philippines, Congo and more. Given the international background of the actors, the plays chosen address universal concepts that we all share as humans. Blue Book collaborates with directors and coaches who have similar experiences and who can navigate the beautiful cultural differences that can arise in a multicultural group.

Blue Book creates a sense of community  by bringing together a group of people that are moving towards a common goal: storytelling. The meetings, rehearsals and practice are a kind of “laboratory” where actors create together, applying learned skills to the theatre piece that coincide with the director’s vision, while also sharing the experience with the audience and the local community.

Interview with Aldo D’Ibaños, Brazilian-Spanish Actor

Why Did You Want to Become an Actor?

This is not a short answer by any means, but I will do it for the article’s sake. Being an actor had always been in the back of my mind. I have been a professional musician since I was 17 and acting had always been done on the side, meaning that hadn’t been my main focus at the beginning. That changed about 15 years ago when I realized that being an actor was no longer a choice, but a need to be filled, just as much as that of playing music and singing.

What Productions Have You Acted in So Far?

So, I am thankful to say that I have participated in quite a few, but I will name the most recent—The Nether (produced by Blue Book), Almost, Catalonia (Blue Book) and Las Tremendas Aventuras de La Capitana Gazpacho by Gerardo Mancebo directed by Hugo Guzmán. I am also a part of a Brazilian/French company called CLLÃ. Currently I am working with Theatre4Schools, an English-speaking company which travels around Spain putting up plays for a younger audience. This year’s play is called Three Stories of Scotland, in which we play typical historical characters such as William Wallace.

Did You Attend a Conservatory?

Yes, I did. I attended the École Nationale de Musique in France, studying the bass guitar and in Brazil in a school called Casa de Teatro. Here in Spain I also attended Plato de Cinema for a three-year course, in order to improve my Catalan and Spanish and participate in the local culture.

How Integrated Do You Feel in the City Because of Your Job?

The thing is that acting is absolutely always related to people because there is simply no theatre without an audience. Just with that we are connecting to the community, through sharing stories, regardless of the language. On the more technical side, we are constantly needing to communicate with each other, whether through rehearsals with other actors, with production or directors, regarding scenes, scheduling, etc.

I am lucky because my current job in Theatre4Schools allows me to travel throughout Spain as an actor, telling stories and promoting culture. These types of plays are done for local students— and that for me is one of the best ways one can integrate themselves into a place, being around the younger generations. I am also part of the platform the Actor’s Home, which is an international platform organized by Luci Lenox at Frank Stein Studio, that allows us to correspond and connect with international actors around the world, whether it be through book clubs, scene studies, meetups, etc. There is a huge network internationally, with a large one just here in Barcelona and we are continually working together and crossing paths, creating friendships and collaborating on projects together.

What Has Been Your Favorite Role So Far in Your Career?

I think every role has its challenges, its own flair and its own desirable and not so desirable parts, a little like individual humans. But I really have to say that the character that I played in The Nether, Papa, has been one of the most interesting to date. He is a very complex man with many layers. and given that the cast was so unbelievably talented and generous, we had a wonderful time exploring and pushing our boundaries. It was extremely challenging but extremely rewarding.

What Do You Think Can Make a Role Challenging?

Again, there is no correct answer for this one. A character can be considered “challenging” based on anything from who you are working with, to the writer, to the vision of the director and yours, etc. On a personal level, I can find a character challenging when he's far away from me, meaning we don't have that much in common, either in personality, interests or goals. But, as all actors know, the first rule of acting is not to judge the character, so it's our responsibility to search, dig, explore and find those points that we do share. It is also important to “learn” their talents i.e. if they’re a tennis player, how to play tennis, how to hold a racket, what it means to them emotionally and so forth.

Interview with Jonathan Bella Luto, German-Congolese Actor 

What Inspired You to Become an Actor?

I was always drawn to the film industry, but not really necessarily knowing exactly which part I’d like to work in. My actual dream was to be a director, but my passion for watching early films and movies from the 1940s and 1950s allowed me to be inspired by people such as Gene Hackman and John Cazale. Just watching them work, along with more recent actors such as Denzel Washington and Jack Nicholson, was enough to make me want to give acting a try on my own. 

Why Is Theatre Work Important for Your Career?

I believe theatre is the foundation of acting, given the obvious reason that it all started there. I am convinced if you, as an actor, take your craft very seriously, then you absolutely have to work at some point in theatre—there is no other way around it. I also believe, especially in theatre, this is where you actually learn how to prepare as an actor in regard to respecting the script, the writing and learning the discipline it takes in this profession. 

Do You Prefer Working in Film, Theatre or Both?

I would say both, because both are so different. Theatre is so much more physical and I love physical work. Film, I consider, is almost the opposite—you really must take your actions into consideration, people can see it and read it on your face without having to say or do anything extra. Both I find extremely enjoyable and leave a lot of room for exploration. 

What Do You Enjoy Most about Acting?

The process of creating a character, working with people from different backgrounds on different levels—it’s also always changing constantly and it is full of surprises. You never know what script you're going to receive next, or what character you're going to be given or what play you will do next, and that I find very exciting. 

How Has Working In an International Atmosphere Contributed to Your Career in Acting?

First, it helps immensely that I am able to speak a lot of different languages. This provides me with a lot of different opportunities: to work in different atmospheres, in different languages on different productions. It’s absolutely always a plus to learn languages, but not only languages per se, but also to learn the culture that goes along with them. I grew up in Germany, and understood right away that the Germans were different from the French, as they are different from the Belgians, from the Dutch, etc., and by speaking those different languages, it only assisted me be more aware and open to those beautiful differences. Language learning can also affect your body language in a way, how you move when you are speaking a particular language, etc., and I find that fascinating.

What Interests You about Acting in English? Why Do You Find It Important

Well, personally, I feel for any interest in movies and plays, writing, etc., it all starts in English. It was a no-brainer to choose to do acting in English. From magnificent playwrights such as Shakespeare or Tennessee Williams or August Wilson, to name a few, this gives us access to so much rich literature and stories for our careers. I think that if you speak English, understand English and also can play in English, it is definitely highly regarded in the industry. I also think that the biggest market is in the English language, so it makes sense.

Who Is Your Favorite Playwright and How Have They Helped You with Your Acting Process?

I’m a huge fan of Edward Albee, and in the fantastic Atelier de Drama which is an incredible place to learn about acting, about life on stage and the value of playwrights. I think for me I learned about human nature from a different perspective and finding myself in those humans. And. it emphasized for me the experience of different human beings other than myself.

Where Did You Hear about Blue Book and How Did You Choose Barcelona?

The casting director Luci Lenox had posted a promotional poster for Blue Book’s last play, The Nether by Jennifer Haley, via Instagram. I had been living in Valencia at that time and had been looking for an English-speaking theatre company in Spain. And of course, living in Barcelona had always been a dream of mine. I therefore came to the casting of our current play Adventures of Nicole written and directed by Greta Griniūtė, and was cast for a part, and I moved here. I am now meeting amazing people and artists in the city and it seems that Blue Book has definitely created something special—creating a space for artists where they can express their art and themselves and tell stories, which is what we actors love to do.

You can learn more about Blue Book Theatre Co. at bluebooktheatrecompany.com and you can follow on social media for the latest updates on Facebook @bluebooktheatreco, Instagram @bluebooktheatre_co, and LinkedIn.

Sponsored by Blue Book Theatre Co.