Jesús Antonio Díaz Valladares

Artistic and general director of Mefisto Teatro, set designer with an extensive artistic history. Díaz, 69 years old, stood out as one of the most important designers of scenography, costumes and lighting in Cuban theater and cinema for more than four decades, but he also leaves a prolific body of work as director of classic pieces by masters of national dramaturgy such as José Ramón Brene and Abelardo Estorino.

He was born in Cienfuegos. He worked for four decades as a designer of scenography, costumes and lighting for the most important theater companies, for the Cuban Institute of Art and Cinematographic Industry (ICAIC) and Cuban Television.

Tony Díaz combined his work as a designer with scenic direction. He is a member of the Association of Performing Arts of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). He belonged to the group of experts of the Ministry of Culture for Performing Arts.

In the final months of 2005 he created the Mefisto Teatro group, with which he has already premiered several productions, where he serves as artistic and general director. Previously he directed successful and award-winning productions with the Rita Montaner Theatrical Company.

He is responsible for approximately 180 titles for which he designed scenography, costumes and/or lights, among which stand out:

OBDEBÍ THE HUNTER, Eugenio Hernández Espinosa/ National Folk Ensemble of Cuba/ National Theater and Teatro Mella. Havana, Cuba/ 1988 (Scenography, costumes and lights)
BORDER GUARDS, Octavio Cortazar/ National Theater. Havana, Cuba. 1986.
THE MANDRAKE. N. Machiavelli/ Miguel Montesco/ Rita Montaner Company/ Sala El Sótano. Havana, Cuba./ 1985.
THE LION AND THE JEWEL. Wole Soyinka/ Eugenio Hernández Espinosa/ Caribbean Theater Group/ Theater of Cadiz. Cadiz, Spain/ 1991.
LA CELESTINA. Fernando de Rojas/ Rafael Daboín/ Rita Montaner Company/ IV International Border Festival. San Cristóbal, Venezuela/ 1993 (Scenography and lights)
TRILOGY El Público Group. National Theater.
KING LEAR. William Shakespeare/ Carlos Díaz/ El Público Company. Avellaneda Room of the National Theater of Cuba. Havana, Cuba/ 1996.
MARE NOSTRO. Alberto Pedro/ Miriam Lezcano/ Covarrubias Room of the National Theater of Cuba. Havana, Cuba/ 1997.
STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE. Senel Paz/ Carlos Díaz/ El Público Group/ Spain, Venezuela, Colombia / 1997 and 1998.
AVEC LE TEMPO. Co-production Caribbean Theater and Siyag Company of Guadalupe. Theater (Tour of 5 Caribbean Islands.
THE VENERABLE by Eugenio Hernández Espinosa Co-production Caribbean Theater and Siyag of Guadalupe.
Costume award from the VII National Festival of Children's Theater for Margaret in Wonderland, by Fernando Sáez. 1975

Among his most relevant works as Artistic Director are:

RUANDI, by Gerardo Fulleda León/ Popular Art Group/ Havana, Cuba/ 1983. UNEAC Award
DON JUAN TENORIO, by Zorrilla/ 1987
THE CORSAIR AND THE ABBESS by José Ramón Brene (Venezuela)
CHAGO DE GUISA, by Gerardo Fulleda León / Caribbean Theater. National Theater 1991
TWO WEEKS WITH THE QUEEN. Rita Montaner Company. UNEAC Production Award 1995
WHIRLWIND IN THE WATERS, by Gerardo Fulleda León. Gothenburg Festival, Camaguey Festival, Monologue Festival in Cuba and Miami, as well as national and international tours. Special Jury Mention.
AMADEUS, by Peter Shaffer. Critics' Award. Production Award. UPEC. National tour. Villanueva Production Award. Miguel Navarro Acting Award. Monologue Festival 1997.
JESUS, by Virgilio Piñera. Camaguey Festival 1996 and International Festival of Havana.
PROVINCIAL, by Gerardo Fulleda León. Camaguey Festival and International Festival of Havana. 1998
DEATH IN THE FOREST, by Leonardo Padura Fuentes in theatrical adaptation by Tony Díaz. Sala El Sótano. Mariposa Award, "For his Theater 1999" Mention at the Camaguey Festival 2000. International Theater Festival of Havana.
RUANDI, by Gerardo Fulleda León: New York. Production Award HISPANIC ORGANIZATION OF LATIN ACTORS. 2002
THE DIARY OF ANNA FRANK by John Patrick. Sala el Sótano. International Festival of Havana. Camaguey Festival 2002 Special Mention
THE MANGOS OF CAIN by Abelardo Estorino. Sala El Sótano.
THE MOUSETRAP by Agatha Christie. Sala El Sótano. Premiere. International Festival of Havana. Camaguey Festival 2004.
SCANDAL IN THE TRAP by José Ramón Brene. Sala El Sótano. April 2, 2005.

Other awards received
Production Award from the Workers' Festival for "The Rifles of Mother Carrar," by Bertolt Brecht. 1971
Production Award for "The Moon Too Small and the Dangerous Walk" 1972, National FAR Festival.
Production Award from the National Workers' Festival for "The Doctor in Spite of Himself" by Moliere 1973
Production Award from the Workers' Festival for "Some Men and Others," by Jesús Díaz. 1974
Production Award Workers' Festival for "Do You Want to Buy a Town," by Andrés Lizarraga 1975.

Cultural exchanges
He participated in the Prague quadrennials, 1975 and 1983.

He conducted numerous tours through Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Portugal, Spain, United States, France and the Caribbean Islands, including Guadalupe where he has deployed two productions.

As a designer and director he participated in the Madrid Autumn Festival in 1991; in the Binational Festival and in the Border Festival in Venezuela and Colombia, respectively, in the latter he was in charge of the technical direction of the Festival.

It is important to highlight the mastery that Tony had in bringing to the stage the works of Brene, a foundational author of Cuban dramaturgy who is spoken of very little lately," said playwright Amado del Pino. "Both in The Corsair and the Abbess and in the more recent and highly acclaimed Scandal in the Trap, he was able to find the keys to the tragicomic, the vivacious characters and the formidable arguments of Brene".

Del Pino worked with Díaz in the process of adapting to the stage Winds of Lent, a novel by Leonardo Padura. Another of Padura's well-known novels, Masks, was the subject of a successful production by Díaz in 2000, with the title Death in the Forest.

Recognitions
Raúl Gómez García Medal
Literacy Medal

With his group, Díaz had become involved in rescuing musical theater, taking on classic works of the genre—such as Cabaret and Chicago—and adapting others such as Strawberry and Chocolate. One of the most recognized works was Scandal in the Trap (2005), by José Ramón Brene, with which he won the Camaguey Theater Festival Award.

Tony Díaz died in Havana, victim of a presumed homicide at 69 years of age.