Teatro Zorrilla, Historic theatre in Plaza Mayor, Valladolid, Spain.
Teatro Zorrilla is a theatre on Plaza Mayor in Valladolid, built by architect Joaquín Ruiz Sierra on the site of the former Convent of San Francisco. Its main facade is not individualized and is concealed among the uniform residential buildings of the square; access is through the arcades, and the rear facade faces Calle Constitución. It seats 450 spectators across the stalls, two boxes on the ground floor, a first floor entirely of boxes and a second floor with rows of seats.
Built by architect Joaquín Ruiz Sierra on the site of the former Convent of San Francisco, the theatre opened in October 1884 in honour of the Valladolid writer José Zorrilla, who attended the inauguration. On the night of 22–23 October 1887 it introduced electric lighting, among the first venues in the city to do so. After serving as a cinema from the 1980s, it closed in the mid-1990s and reopened in September 2009 after a full restoration directed by Roberto Valle González for the Diputación Provincial.
The theatre has served as a central venue for artistic expression in Valladolid since its opening, reflecting the city's passion for performance. Today visitors experience a space where actors, musicians, and dancers continue to work in the same rooms where audiences have gathered for more than a century.
The theatre welcomes visitors on weekdays with guided tours that show the main hall, stage, and backstage areas. Check availability beforehand since touring access depends on the performance schedule.
Since its reopening, the theatre has dedicated occasional "butacas de honor" to figures linked to Valladolid or to the stage. Gold plaques on seats in the patio name directors José Luis Alonso de Santos and Juan Casado, actors Arturo Fernández and Juan Antonio Quintana, dancer Mariemma, singer Rocío Jurado and journalist Ángel María de Pablos.
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