The play Saeta, by the Javier Aranda Company, has received the FIT Madriz 2026 Audience Award, an accolade presented for the first time this year, recognizing the show most highly rated by festival attendees. The event, held between August 20 and 31, brought together over 3,000 spectators at the Retiro Puppet Theater.
The FIT Madriz festival, organized by the Culture, Tourism, and Sports Area of the Madrid City Council, featured 12 national and international companies addressing themes such as memory, identity, the passage of time, and solitude. Saeta achieved the highest score of the edition, a 4.70 out of 5.
Saeta is a visual tragicomedy that pays homage to the art of puppetry and reflects on the fragility of life and the transformative power of performance. The piece uses elements like a flower, a 'saeta' (arrow or dart), and a coffin to explore the profound meaning of theater and the role of the performer with humor and sensitivity.
The show also plays with the idea of the stage as a sacred and ephemeral space where anything is possible.
Javier Aranda, an actor and puppeteer, has over 20 years of professional experience and trained at the Zaragoza Theater School. He has collaborated with companies such as Teatro del Temple and Teatro Arbolé, and has developed his own acclaimed shows.
