Francisco Wilfredo García Castellanos

Cuban actor of theater, film, television and theatrical director, recipient of the National Theater Prize 2012. He was part of the cast of the theater groups Teatro Estudio, Compañía Teatral Hubert de Blanck and Argos Teatro. He was a member of the Association of Performing Arts of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba UNEAC and an emeritus member.

He began his theatrical career in 1961, when he joined the Experimental Group of Amateurs of Havana. There he received classes in acting, body expression, diction, art history, theater history and everything necessary for his comprehensive training as an actor.

Until 1968 he participated in almost all the productions of the aforementioned group, directed by director Juan R. Amán. Among these productions stood out some such as Hamlet, Crystal World, Permission to Marry, Saint Joan of America, Peribañez, The Commander of Ocaña, Pantomimes and "The Ingenious Creole Don Matías Perez".

In 1968, when director Juan R. Amàn was called to join the professional theatrical movement, he assumed the direction of the amateur group, then wrote and directed the social satire script Quisicosas and also directed The Bourgeois Gentleman by Molière.

In 1969, he became part of the professional movement by joining the cast of the Joven Teatro group, directed by Rubén Vigón, participating as an actor in the productions of: The Lark, by Anouilh and On the High Seas, both directed by Miriam Lezcano, Sancho Panza on the Island of Barataria, directed by Juan Arce and The Holy Games with script and direction by Pepe Santos.

In 1970, he joined the cast of the Teatro Estudio Group, the oldest of Cuba's theatrical groups, founded in 1958 by siblings Raquel Revuelta and Vicente Revuelta. From 1995 until 2003, he was part of the Compañía Teatral Hubert de Blanck. From that year until 2012, he alternated his directing work at the Compañía Teatral Hubert de Blanck and acting in Argos Teatro. He also worked independently with other directors.

Likewise, García worked for television, participating in telenovelas, short stories, comedies and police series. He is the author of theatrical scripts, monologues and the theatrical version of the novel The Impure Women by Miguel de Carrión and the monologues Homage and The Cousin from Havana.

In 2008 he participated in the films Chamaco, by Juan Carlos Cremata, José Martí: the Eye of the Canary, by Fernando Pérez, Little Red Riding Hood, by Jorge Molina Enríquez and The Pool, by Carlos Rodríguez.

In January 2014 he founded the project El Túnel, which had its first premiere on April 5 of that same year with the work Oh, Carmela!, by José Sanchez Sinisterra, performed by actors Liliana Lam and Alberto Corona, under his artistic direction.

He participated in more than 100 productions, more than eighty of them as protagonist, among which the following stand out:

The Knight of Olmedo Author: Lope de Vega, Character: The Knight of Olmedo, Direction: Joaquín Domínguez
Death of a Salesman: Author: Arthur Miller, Character: Willy Loman, Direction: Pancho García
Stockman, an Enemy of the People: Author: Henrik Johan Ibsen, Character: The Brother, Direction: Carlos Celdrán
Don Gil of the Green Stockings: Author: Tirso de Molina, Character: Don Martín, Direction: Berta Martínez
Mother Courage and Her Children: Author: Bertolt Brecht, Character: Eilif, Direction: Vicente Revuelta.
Blood Wedding: Author: Federico García Lorca, Character: The Bridegroom, Direction: Berta Martínez
Macbeth: Author: William Shakespeare, Character: Macbeth, Direction: Berta Martínez.
Doña Rosita the Spinster: Author: Federico García Lorca, Character: The Bridegroom, Direction: Raquel Revuelta.
The Day You Love Me: Author: José Ignacio Cabrujas, Character: Pio Miranda, Direction: Humberto Arenal.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Author: Alejo Carpentier, Character: Hernán Cortés, Direction: Berta Martínez.
The Ten Days That Shook the World: Author: Youn Rif, Character: Various, Direction: Liuvimov.
Oh Carmela!: Author: José S. Sinisterra, Character: Paulino, Direction: Humberto Arenal.
Neither Yes Nor No: Author: Abelardo Estorino, Character: The Father, Direction: Abelardo Estorino.
Obbá and Changó: Author: Eugenio Hernández Espinosa, Character: Shangó, Direction: Eugenio Hernández Espinosa.
Dying from the Story: Author: Abelardo Estorino, Character: Lead Role, Direction: Abelardo Estorino.
Measure for Measure: Author: William Shakespeare, Character: Jailer, Direction: Vicente Revuelta.
Baroque Concert: Author: Alejo Carpentier, Character: The Gentleman, Direction: Raquel Revuelta.
Seems White: Author: Abelardo Estorino, Character: Cándido Gamboa, Direction: Abelardo Estorino.
Vague Rumors: Author: Abelardo Estorino, Character: The Beggar, Direction: Abelardo Estorino.
The Possessed Rumba Dancer: Author: Carlos S. Francos, Character: The Dead Man, Direction: Nieves Riovalles.
Second Half: Author: ?, Character: The Husband, Direction: Eugenio Hernández Espinosa.
Aristodemo: Author: ?, Character: Aristodemo, Direction: Abelardo Estorino.
A Streetcar Named Desire: Author: Tennessee Williams, Character: Mich, Direction: Carlos Díaz.
In the Tunnel a Bird: Author: Paloma Pedrero, Character: Enrique Guiñales, Direction: Pancho García.
Life and Death of Pier Paolo Pasolini: Author: Michel Azama, Character: Various, Direction: Carlos Celdrán.
An Enemy of the People: Author: Henrik Johan Ibsen, Character: The Brother, Direction: Carlos Celdrán.
Chamaco: Author: Abel González Melo, Character: The Uncle, Direction: Carlos Celdrán.
Endgame: Author: Samuel Beckett, Character: Jan, Direction: Carlos Celdrán.
Divided Kingdom: Author: Amado del Pino, Character: Various, Direction: Carlos Celdrán.
Cold Air: Author: Virgilio Piñera, Character: The Father, Direction: Carlos Celdrán.
Mud: Author: María Irene Fornés, Character: ?, Direction: Carlos Celdrán.

Direction of Productions

Oh, Carmela!, by José Sanchéz Sinisterra
Oyá Allawá, by Eugenio Hernández Espinosa
Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller
The Eyes of the Night, by Paloma Pedrero
In the Tunnel a Bird, by Paloma Pedrero
Representing Karín.
Cold Air, by Virgilio Piñera (Monologue Version by Susana Alonso)
The Cousin from Havana, by Pancho García.
Homage, by Pancho García.
The Night, by María Betania.
The Knight of Paris, by Consuelo Ramírez.
Good Night Mama, by Marsha Norman.
Short Works, by Anton Chekhov.
Mr. Patelín, anonymous French farce.
The Bourgeois Gentleman, by Molière.
Quisicosas, social satire script written and directed by Pancho García

Monologues

The Night of María Bethania: Author: Tomás González, Character: He, Direction: Pancho García
The Legionnaire Woman: Authors: Susana Alonso and Pancho García based on the original by Fernando Quiñones, Character: The Legionnaire Woman, Direction: Pancho García.
Authority: Author: Eduardo Pavlosky, Character: Military, Direction: Alfonso Pindado.
The Knight of Paris: Author: Consuelo Ramírez, Character: The Knight of Paris, Direction: Pancho García.
Kiko Palomo: Author: Alberto Pedro, Character: Kiko Palomo, Direction: Miriam Lezcano.
The Cousin from Havana and Homage: Author: Pancho García, Character: The Cousin, Direction: Pancho García.
Infamies, by four Latin American authors.

Television

The Seventh Family (Telenovela). Direction Juan Vilar
The Big House (Humorous Teleseries). Character: Orlando, Direction: Consuelo Ramírez.
Ghosts (Humorous Series). Artistic Direction Miguel Montesco. Television Direction Cheíto González.
Equal but Different (Program Back Then), Direction Carlos Franco.
The Leather Jacket (Teleplay), Direction Carlos Franco.
Day and Night Police (Series), Direction Idelfonso Ramos
The Buccaneers (Adventure), Direction Cheito Gonzales
Tournament in Miguel Savanna (Teleplay), Direction Consuelo Ramírez.
The Maker of Verses (Teleplay), Direction Consuelo Ramírez.
Divorce Rate (Teleplay), Direction Consuelo Ramírez.
My Knight of Paris (Teleplay), Direction Consuelo Ramírez.
In the Tunnel a Bird (Teleteatre), Direction Consuelo Ramírez.
Shared Heartbeats (Telenovela), Direction Consuelo Ramírez and Felo Ruíz.
A Few Minutes in the Life of... (Documentary Series for Television), by filmmaker Carlos Collazo.

Film
The actor Pancho García in a scene from the film by Fernando Pérez José Martí: the Eye of the Canary

A Cuban Fight Against Demons: Director Tomás Gutiérrez Alea
Plácido: Direction: Sergio Giral, Character: Spanish Military
Fruits in the Café: Direction: Humberto Padrón
The Pool: Direction: Carlos Rodríguez, Character: Professor
José Martí: the Eye of the Canary: Direction: Fernando Pérez, Character: Barber of the Alhambra
Esther Somewhere: Special Performance, Direction: Gerardo Chijona, Character: Neighbor Manolo
Chamaco: Direction: Juan Carlos Cremata, Character: Uncle
Fierce Molina: Direction: Jorge Molina
Wedding Dress: Direction: Marilyn Solaya, Character: The Father
Before Rigor Mortis (Short Film) (2015): Direction: Adrian García
Jazz Club (Special Performance) (2016): Direction: Esteban Insausti, Character: Usurer
The Good Demons (Special Performance) (2016): Direction: Gerardo Chijona, Character: A Tourist
Eros in the Storm (Documentary): Direction: Yosiri Lopez (2016)
Insubordinate: Direction: Fernando Pérez and Laura Cazador (2017), Character: Father Sanamé
Photogenic (Short Film, FAMCA) (2018): Direction: Fernando Cruz, Character: The Father
The Drying House (Short Film, FAMCA) 2018: Direction: José Luis Aparicio, Character: The Swede
Washington Mcneelly" (2019): Direction: Adonis Milán, Character: Washington Mcneelly

International Tours

1980 with the work Blood Wedding, by Federico García Lorca, to the Festivals of Sitges in Spain; FITEI in Yugoslavia and BIEF in Portugal.
1984 with the work Dying from the Story, by Cuban author Abelardo Estorino, to the Sitges Festival in Spain.
1985 with Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca to Venezuela and Colombia.
1989 with a collective show to Angola.
1992 with Baroque Concert, by Alejo Carpentier, to Spain.
1994 with Vague Rumors by Abelardo Estorino to Brazil
1995 with the monologue The Night of María Bethania to Brazil.
1996 – 1997 with The Legionnaire Woman by Fernando Quiñones to Spain. There he also participated in the productions of Oh Carmela! by Sanchis Finisterra and Authority by Eduardo Pavlosky.
1997 – 2000 To participate in the production of the work A Star by Spanish playwright Doña Paloma Pedrero. In Spain
2001 Monologue Festival - Miami – USA
2003 with A Star by Spanish playwright Paloma Pedrero, in France.
2004 with Life and Death of Pier Paolo Pasolini to Venezuela
2005 with Life and Death of Pier Paolo Pasolini to Mexico
2005 with "In the Tunnel a Bird" by Spanish playwright Paloma Pedrero, to Spain.
2006 with Life and Death of Pier Paolo Pasolini to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
2006 with The Eyes of the Night by Paloma Pedrero, Spain.
2010 with Endgame, Brazil.
2010 with Divided Kingdom, Spain.
2011 Invitation from the University of Miami, United States.
2012 Dominican Republic with "Cold Air"
2012 Brazil with Cold Air.
2012 Miami USA, with Cold Air.
2012 Spain Festival A Glance at the World with In the Tunnel a Bird

Teaching Work

He taught acting classes in Cuba, Spain and Brazil, in the latter country in 1995, concluding the course with the production of The Bourgeois Gentleman by Molière.

Directing Work

He directed theatrical works such as:

The Bourgeois Gentleman, by Molière.
Mr. Patelin, anonymous French farce.
Short Works, by Chekhov.
Good Night Mama, by Marsha Norman.
The Knight of Paris, by Consuelo Ramírez.
Homage, by Francisco (Pancho) García.
The Cousin from Havana, by Francisco (Pancho) García.
Cold Air, Version by Susana Alonso.
Representing Karín
In the Tunnel a Bird by Paloma Pedrero
The Eyes of the Night by Paloma Pedrero
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Oyá Allawá by Eugenio Hernández Espinosa
Oh Carmela by José Sanchiz Sinisterra

Death

He died on December 16, 2021 in Havana at the age of 78.

National Awards

First Prize for Acting at the National Festival of Amateurs in 1965 with the work Permission to Marry.
First Prize for Acting at the National Festival of Amateurs in 1968 for the work Peribañez and the Commander of Ocaña.
Acting Prize from the Francisco Covarrubias Competition of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, in 1991, for the works The Day You Love Me and Neither Yes Nor No.
Acting Prize from the Francisco Covarrubias Competition of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, in 1992, for the works A Streetcar Named Desire and Oh Carmela!
Acting Prize from the Francisco Covarrubias Competition of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, in 1995, for the works Seems White and The Possessed Rumba Dancer.
National Prize of Cuban Critics 1996 for The Legionnaire Woman.
Acting Prize from the Francisco Covarrubias Competition of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, in 1997, for the works Authority and The Legionnaire Woman.
Caricatos Awards 2003 granted by the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) in: Production and Lead Acting for the work In the Tunnel a Bird.
Villanueva Prize 2003 awarded -for his acting and artistic direction of In the Tunnel a Bird- by the Section of Criticism and Theatrology of the Association of Performing Artists of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, the Cuban Center of AICT and the magazine Tablas.
Acting Prize 2004 granted National Theater Festival of Camagüey for Life and Death of Pier Paolo Pasolini and In the Tunnel a Bird
Special Caricatos Prize in 2004 for Life and Death of Pier Paolo Pasolini
Acting Prize 2006 granted National Theater Festival of Camagüey for Stockman an Enemy of the People
Caricatos Acting Prize 2006 for Stockman an Enemy of the People
Caricatos Acting Prize 2009 for Endgame
Acting Prize 2010 National Theater Festival of Camagüey for Endgame
Caricatos Acting Prize for Cold Air in 2012
Mariposa Cultural Prize in 2003 and 2010
Florencio Escudero Prize. June 2010. XIII Theater Festival of Camagüey. UNEAC
La Avellaneda Prize. June 2010. XIII Theater Festival of Camagüey
Nominated for the National Theater Prize in 2009, 2010 and 2011
National Theater Prize 2012
Master of Youth Prize 2019

International Awards

First Prize for Acting for Best Actor of the XX National Theater Competition "Arcipreste de Hita" Guadalajara (Spain) in 1998 with the work A Star.
First Prize for Acting for Best Actor of the VI National Monologue Competition in Tomelloso (Ciudad Real – Spain) in 1998 with the work The Legionnaire Woman

Orders and Distinctions

Raúl Gómez García Order granted by the National Union of Culture.
Majadahonda Distinction granted by UNEAC.
Nicolás Guillén Diploma granted by UNEAC.
Distinction for National Culture.
Emeritus Member of UNEAC. 2013