A guest presentation from Chile by Teatro Infausto.
Created and directed by Nicolás Venegas
Featuring María Figueroa and Nicolás Venegas
Genre: Dark comedy
Language: Spanish with English supertitles
IATI Theater presents Teatro Infausto’s Manual de Autoayuda, a dark comedy from Chile that blends theater, performance, and autofiction to examine self-help culture and the contemporary pursuit of happiness.
A performer takes the stage and declares his permanent inability to be happy. In search of an answer, he turns to the tools that neoliberal culture offers to manage his constant dissatisfaction: self-help, coaching, and their many variations. Moving from the personal and intimate toward the political and collective, the work asks: Is it possible to achieve happiness as a permanent state?
Through biographical storytelling, irony, and moments of audience interaction, Manual de Autoayuda explores the pressures surrounding happiness, emotional well-being, and personal fulfillment. The production incorporates audience interaction as part of the performance; participation is always voluntary.