Matías Umpierrez: The Art of Provoking Curiosity

In the Paris of the 1730s, a bizarre and brutal event unfolded that most contemporary observers dismissed as mere anecdote. Two disgruntled printing house employees, dissatisfied with their working conditions, initiated a systematic hunt and massacre of the neighborhood's feline population. They successfully convinced their colleagues to join this grim crusade, transforming a workplace grievance into a public spectacle of violence against animals.

This strange historical episode escalated into a full-blown atrocity. The workers staged a mock trial for the captured cats, formally sentencing them to death before publicly hanging the animals. While some cronistas (chroniclers) of the time recorded the event with a sense of dark, almost comic detachment, its significance would later be reinterpreted by sociologists and historians. They identified this massacre not as a simple oddity, but as a profound symptom of the crisis of values that characterized the Age of Enlightenment.

Argentine playwright Matías Umpierrez delves into these shadowy corners of history to illuminate the present. For Umpierrez, the stage is a laboratory where any material—whether from fiction or reality—can be deployed to construct powerful arguments. His creative process is driven by a belief that the past holds essential keys to understanding our current psychological and social landscape.

His latest theatrical work, titled 'PLAY', takes this investigative approach to its logical extreme. The production moves beyond simple historical reenactment to actively probe the nature of hatred itself. By examining the motivations behind the 1730 Parisian cat massacre, Umpierrez creates a framework for audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about group dynamics, scapegoating, and the human capacity for cruelty.

Umpierrez's artistic mission is deeply connected to a critique of modern media consumption. He identifies a critical problem in contemporary society: the overwhelming flood of information has paradoxically led to widespread apathy. In this environment, shocking events are normalized, and historical context is often lost, mirroring how the Parisian cat massacre was initially viewed as a trivial story rather than a societal warning.

“Es importante incitar a la curiosidad en una época en que la sobreinformación nos ha vuelto apáticos”

By presenting audiences with a historical event that is simultaneously horrifying and absurd, Umpierrez aims to break through this desensitization. The goal of 'PLAY' is not merely to recount a strange story, but to incite curiosity. He challenges viewers to look closer at the narratives that shape our world and to question the underlying forces that drive collective behavior, ensuring the lessons of the past are not lost in the noise of the present.

Matías Umpierrez's work serves as a vital reminder that history is not a static collection of facts, but a living resource for understanding the human condition. The 1730 cat massacre, once a footnote in Parisian history, becomes a powerful metaphor in his hands for examining the mechanisms of hatred and social unrest. 'PLAY' demonstrates how theatrical inquiry can uncover the emotional and psychological truths that official histories often overlook.

Ultimately, Umpierrez offers a path forward through the fog of modern information saturation. By engaging with complex, challenging material from the past, audiences are invited to reclaim their capacity for wonder and critical thought. His work suggests that the antidote to contemporary apathy lies in a renewed commitment to asking difficult questions and seeking deeper understanding, one historical story at a time.