# Actor and street theater director Francisco Braulio Rodríguez Cabrera passed away in Matanzas

**Date:** 04/30/2022

The theater in Matanzas is in mourning, one of its best exponents has died, Francisco "Pancho" Rodríguez, a street artist who left an infinite body of work.

Pancho was an artistic director, he presented countless scenes achieving numerous recognitions that make him an institution for the art of the theater.

For Pancho, the most important thing and what really kept him going was the audience, and the hope of moving the emotions of those who attended each performance.

He was a person who when he spoke of theater found it impossible to hide the passion he felt for more than 35 years.

During the organization of the X Street Theater Festival, Pancho gestured, moved restlessly and recalled the history of this project, told his countless anecdotes, emphasized his views and finally seemed calm when he again engaged in dialogue to talk about the projects, about the future.

"We are in a difficult moment in Cuba for theater in general, but even more so for street theater. It is a type of spectacle that is very labor-intensive, requiring a lot of effort from everyone involved in it, from the actors, due to the very conditions of the spaces where they perform, to the designs, the infrastructure it requires, and there is also the fact of the abandonment of some projects due to economic reasons. We need to promote more, provide more support to the collectives so that this form of expression gains more strength within the Cuban landscape," Pancho said.

"Because there is nothing better than to feel the gratitude of the public when we give them a spectacle that involves them, that makes them feel that there are people by their side trying to promote values, entertain and make you think in a different way."

Pancho passed away at the age of 67. He was a founder of the Theater Group El Mirón Cubano.