To commemorate the 169th anniversary of the Battle of Rivas and the heroic act of soldier Juan Santamaría on April 11, 1856, the Juan Santamaría Historical and Cultural Museum (MHCJS), located in Alajuela, will present the performance “The Forgotten Hero,” by the Folkloric and Cultural Association “La Malacrianza.”
- Free performance will take place on Saturday, April 5 at 7 p.m., in the Francisca Carrasco Jiménez Plaza of the Juan Santamaría Museum in Alajuela
- Stage proposal brings together more than 50 artists, including dancers, musicians, singers, actors, and oral storytellers
- Production is inspired by the work “Cantata: The War of 1856–1857,” by the late Costa Rican singer-songwriter Dionisio Cabal Antillón (1954–2021)
San José, March 31, 2025. To commemorate the 169th anniversary of the Battle of Rivas and the heroic act of soldier Juan Santamaría on April 11, 1856, the Juan Santamaría Historical and Cultural Museum (MHCJS), located in Alajuela, will present the performance “The Forgotten Hero,” by the Folkloric and Cultural Association “La Malacrianza.”
The performance will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 7 p.m., in the Francisca Carrasco Jiménez Plaza of the MHCJS. Admission is free.
The MHCJS stated that this performance stands out for its artistic quality and educational value, as it recounts, through resources such as music, dance, and acting, various events of the well-known “National Campaign of 1856–1857.”
The stage proposal is based on various academic studies on the topic, as well as on oral traditions that persist in the popular memory regarding this war event that shaped the national identity of Costa Ricans.
María Otárola, director of the MHCJS, stated that this performance “provides an educational approach through various artistic disciplines, is family-friendly, and extremely important for the understanding of our history.”
The Folkloric and Cultural Association “La Malacrianza” was founded in 2002, with the purpose of promoting different cultural and artistic expressions through study, dissemination, and training aimed at developing activities that support the preservation and promotion of the country’s music, dance, and cultural heritage, both nationally and internationally. Since its creation, the group has performed on Costa Rica’s main stages and in other countries such as Spain, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the United States.
The performance “The Forgotten Hero” has been declared of cultural interest; furthermore, it has been licensed with the country brand “Essential Costa Rica.”
Technical File
- Based on the work Cantata: The War of 1856–1857, by maestro Dionisio Cabal Antillón
- General direction, production, and script: César Sandí Varela
- General direction of dance and choreography: Jerry Sandí Varela
- Direction of Adult and Youth Companies: Dayan Saballo
- Costume design: Dayan Saballo and Jerry Sandí
- Musical direction: Alexander González
