Public protests over theatre threat
19/09/2008
Black leather seats in a famous theare in Madrid have come under threat as a plan to re-fit the interior includes a suggestion to use synthetic upholstery instead.
The Teatro Lara in the centre of Spain's capital city is an iconic arts venue, with kings and presidents among its most famous patrons in the past. It is famous for its acoustic, with audiences often able to hear the actors breathing. One of the venues directors, Ayanta Barilli, has told local media that the reason why the sound quality is so good is that actors' voices resonate on the leather upholstery.
An organisation called the Association of Friends of the Theatre (AMITE) has written to the city authorities calling for "public action to save part of the heritage of Madrid". The body has called the theatre management team's own suggestion, a public sale of seats with patrons having their name on a plaque, as misplaced because the Teatro Lara belongs to the whole city.
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