Pep Anton Gómez is the director of UPF's Theatre Workshop. A graduate in Acting by the Theatre Institute, he has been a director, translator and actor in many theatrical and operatic productions. This Friday, 29 May, Pep Anton and  are to present the play "Edmond", on the Poblenou campus.

- This Friday is the premiere of "Edmond". What is it about?

- It's the equivalent of a journey to hell. Edmond, the main character, is a man of about thirty-five who is well positioned: he is married, has a good job, lives in a big city... Even so, he feels lost and goes to visit a fortune teller, which sets him up for a terrible night.

- What happens?

- That same night he decides to leave his wife and start a new life. Suddenly, he discovers worlds unknown to him: the world of the night, the world of prostitution, of the destitute and thieves, etc. Until, unintentionally, he commits a murder that gets him in prison. There he is raped by a black man, and ends up becoming his lover.

- What is the most powerful message of the play?

- I really like one sentence that the character says: "every fear hides a desire". We are used to living in fear because we don't do the things we desire. It builds up until, from time to time, it bursts and leads to lots of misfortunes.

- Is it a difficult play to perform?

-The work involves several types of performance, so there's a little bit of everything. There are some very violent scenes that are quite shocking for the audience in which the students have been most daring. But there are also others, equally nice, more minimalistic, that perhaps don't stand out quite as much in the eyes of the public. Even so, they are difficult to perform; they are pure acting and the students end up enjoying themselves tremendously.

- What does the Theatre Workshop give the students?

- It helps them to grow and get to know themselves personally. Maybe that's why a spell at the Theatre Workshop is one of the things they best recall of their time spent at the University. My aim is not for them to end up devoting themselves professionally to the theatre. For me, the most important thing is that their time at the Workshop cements the students' love for the theatre.

- How do you work with a group of amateur actors?

- I don't have a set system. I do the same thing with them as with professional actors, but always paying more attention to the educational aspect. We dedicate a whole term to trying to understand the play: we analyse the scenes and do small acting tests that I can use to pick up on the shortcomings of each student. Then I allocate the roles thinking about what each one needs. Like that I manage to set personal goals for everyone.

- What is the profile of the members of the Theatre Workshop?

- There is a bit of everything. There are people who are more introverted and there are others who you have to rein in, because they're straight in at the deep end. They all end up being rather extroverted, mostly because they build up confidence and do highly adventurous work. We end up with a pretty homogeneous group.

- Why is it important for universities to offer this kind of activities outside the academic timetable?

- Activities like the Theatre Workshop give life to the University. They are a part of the life experience and create group dynamics. A university is supposed to be a place where you become a person and, if you don't have activities like these it means that it's missing something very important.