History of the venue

The Teatre del Mar has been built on the basis of Sala Rex des Molinar, a room with almost fifty years of history, and in this way has become the heir to the theatrical tradition of this well-known neighborhood of Palma.

Inaugural show (1953)

The parochial place was the first Molinar theater room. With a different direction from the Teatre del Mar, it will take from the current stage to the Home of the Elderly. The stage of that room coincided with the current one, but with smaller dimensions.

The first theater, that more than a theater proper was a parochial place of Catholic Action - also called Parochial Home - dates from the end of the Forties. It was built from a collection and was inaugurated by the bishop. This center was the focus of most collective cultural initiatives from Molinar - there was theater, but the celebrations of the patron saint were also celebrated, chocolates, dances and poems recitals were made.

Linked to the Church, like everything at that time, it unfolded a wide range of cultural activities. It was a multipurpose room in the style of the moment and the only place where the neighbors of Molinar could be gathered, a kind of cultural and leisure center.

In that early theatrical era, there were two theater groups, which involved some forty people involved. On one side were the youngest, who made the works provided by the Salesians of Barcelona -The pastorets, not to understand Castilian, Funerals and dances or Captain Pérez are some of the titles; and on the other, the elders, who made more classic works such as El puño del godo, Tierra baja and Amor de madre, or costumbristas de Joan Mas, Mingo Revulgo, etc.

	In Tomeu de Sa Drassana

Every month a work was premiered. This means that at least fifteen days, there was a premiere at the Parochial Home, and that theatrical activity was frantic.

Veterans from Molinar, Des Molinar Catholic Action, East Company, Levante Group, have been some of the names with which these groups of Molinar fans have been baptized.

The only theater in Catalan allowed were the regional plays: A student of the day - "a work of intense drama, where contrasts the old and the modern in passionate struggle for the conquest of intelligence" - Coses Noves - "sainete comedian at an act "-, Mestre Lau is taconer -" works in three original acts of Mr. José Tous and Maroto, with scenery exprofeso for this work "-.

The actors were, in modern slang, multidisciplinary and multipurpose, and they did everything. The doublers that they gave of the functions and the rifles were reversed in the scenery and the costumes. Everything was there, to improve the room and the shows.

Villa Juanita

The final aspiration of all these concerns was to have a theater, a room with a capacity for a good setting and a good armchair. The problem, as always, was economic, so neighborhood and Church put their hands on the work, and begin to raise funds. In the Sunday Mass Sunday, there will be an appointment for the works of the future new hall.

In this way, and with the help of the parish, the works of a theater begin at Molinar: the Sala Rex. Everyone contributes what they can: materials and work. Although the works are directed by a builder, everyone in the neighborhood participates, the carpenters are in charge of the stage, the windows, the beams; The youngsters, kneading the ground, make the basement under the stage, which will be the space reserved for dressing rooms and where the demons or ghosts appear, and where the pointer was located.

	An outgrowth

To inaugurate it, in July 1953, the Artistic Association des Molinar chose the work El divino impaciente, by José M. Pemán. A magnificent representation of an unprecedented work, according to the program, with 37 actors on the scene and "Japanese, Indians and groups of Malay children." They will follow many other new ones or already released in the previous room: The dagger of the Goth, The eighth not to lie, Love of mother, and also works of Mallorcan authors (Mas, Chaplain, etc.).

In the fifties there is an incredibly dramatic activity. The essays are daily, in a corner of the room, a group reads the chosen work while on the stage the others try. The premieres continue their enthusiastic pace, every fortnight or every week.

Veterans from Molinar

At the same time the adjacent patio is used. Every year in the summer the Fiesta in the Air is celebrated with the participation of several artists who aspire to achieve the prize. There are rappers, singers, etc. Interestingly, also the Teatre del Mar took advantage of this space during the summers of the years 1993 and 1994 to make the CabaRex.

At that time, the most successful works were comedians, there were already enough worries in daily life to go see dramas. But they also took part in dramas, and one of the best known was La campana de la Almudaina, Palou i Coll, "a drama full of intrigues, a page of heroism and historical value", clarifies the advertising brochure.

The theater was looking for an expansion, fun and laugh. No great complications or great assemblies were requested to have a good time. Anything, as simple as it was, helped people avoid themselves from everyday problems. In addition, the dramas took a lot more work, but when they were riding they took advantage and represented more time, two or three weeks in a row, because people from outside Molinar could also attend the functions.

The kings 1982

Towards the sixties the parish rented the Rex Room to an entrepreneur, and for ten years there was a cinematographic activity. This tonic continued until almost the eighties, although, as stipulated in the rental contract, there were some theatrical performances, mainly in charge of the theater group Orient in the same quarter.

This situation remained until the eighties, when the room is closed, although it will sporadically accommodate socio-cultural activities in the neighborhood as courses or meetings.

It was precisely in one of those courses for youngsters from Molinar that a member of Iguana Teatre discovered the room and set it there. In 1991 Iguana Theater embarked on a new adventure and rented the room. The next step was to present the Sala Rex, and his project to rehabilitate it and convert it into a multipurpose room with the name of Teatre del Mar.

The theatrical group, aware of the difficulty of carrying out this ambitious project alone, started working to create an entity that agglutinates the representatives of the cultural and theatrical world. In this way, the Teatre del Mar Foundation was formed in 1993.