The stage play Paraná Porã (Beautiful Paraná) will begin its theatrical tour across Paraguay. The play will be performed in November and December 2025. This work of arts is written by the renowned Argentine playwright Maruja Bustamante. Paraná Porã is produced by Cine Teatro del Centro de Encarnación (Paraguay) and the Teatro Inés Genesini of Posadas, Misiones (Argentina). The production is directed by Inés Genesini, a young director from Posadas.
Stories from both shores
The play is about two women: La Gringa, and La Polaca. They are living along the border region between Paraguay and Argentina, strangers to one another yet united by a shared past. Together, they navigate the Paraná River, striving to survive in a post-apocalyptic world shaped by climate change.
Paraná Porã stars Katia Acosta from Encarnación and Daniela López Giménez from Posadas. They are both acclaimed figures in regional theatre and cinema.
The project was conceived as a binational production, developed and carried out equally by artists from Encarnación and Posadas. As the story is set on the Paraná River, involving both cities was considered essential. Paraná Porã is a natural co-production given the shared territory, culture, traditions, and long-standing history of cooperation between the communities on both banks. The artistic and technical team is composed of 90% women. This percentage, according to Cine Teatro del Centro de Encarnación, underscores the project’s commitment to gender inclusion within the performing arts.
Cultural partnerships across borders
Paraná Porã Binacional received support from IBERESCENA (The Ibero-American Technical Arts Aid Fund). They received the support through Paraguay’s National Secretariat of Culture (SNC) under the 2024-2025 Co-Production of Performances Grant. The production also received funding from the National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONDEC). These contributions enabled a 12-performance season in Encarnación during August 2025. Additionally, it will fund a free performance for university students in November at the Universidad Autónoma de Encarnación (UNAE).
Additionally, with backing from the Ministry of Culture of Misiones and the Vicente Cidade Cultural Centre, the play was presented in Posadas and at the International Theatre Festival “Tá Que Arde.” The tour will conclude, thanks to the 2025 SNC Competitive Grants (Mobility Category). They will held performances in Hohenau, María Auxiliadora (District of Tomás Romero Pereira, Itapúa), and at the Sala La Correa in Asunción.
Performance dates Paraná Porã theatre tour
12 November 2025 – Sala La Correa, Asunción
18 November 2025 – Auditorium, Universidad Autónoma de Encarnación (UNAE)
21 November 2025 – Edwin Krug Cultural Centre, Hohenau, Itapúa
4 December 2025 – Municipal Hall, María Auxiliadora, District of Tomás Romero Pereira, Itapúa (Organised by the Cultural Space Biblioteca Pública Chakore Róga T.R.P.)
