Radio doesn’t use to be an interactive media, but in this case, we turn it into a co creation space, giving the chance to the Colombians that didn’t go to theater plays, get closer becoming a actors and actresses, beside professional theater actors through WhatsApp audios, and four short plays.

Basically, we turn each smartphone into a stage, and every play into a unique piece that became our digital and radio campaign to promote and buy tickets to the festival.

Please review the supporting material.

Theater in Colombia is in a critical condition. The Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá, one of the most important in the world, ceased operations in 2018. In the last decade, a lot of theaters have closed, and less than 10% of Colombians attended a theater performance in the last year. On the other hand, WhatsApp is the most popular social network in Colombia, with 92.4% of users, more than TikTok and Instagram.

The chatbot sent T&C and the four short plays selection for the users to choose. Then, the chatbot sent introduction and explanation videos. The interaction begins when the chat sent the actor’s audio with a short script for the user to act. After that, the user sent the audio with his or her performance. And so on. At the end, every user had to improvise the last part, turning every performance a unique play. And the chatbot delivered the full play into a single audio with a customized poster.

WhatsActs plays:

TWINS

TIME TRIAL

NEW YEAR IN APRIL

WATER BILL

TWINS SCRIPT 001

INTRO: Festival Internacional de Teatro de Manizales presents:

TWINS

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): This isn’t normal. This can’t be happening.

FRIEND (USER X): Shut up! If you’re not going to help me, shut it! Push princess, push. Breathe and push. Breathe and push. Push harder. Alejandro take her fucking hand, ‘cause this is your fucking fault!

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): Is this my fault? How would I know that this could happen.

FRIEND (USER X): What the hell are you eating to get pregnant a sex doll? That’s it “mamita” Breathe, breathe and push. Push. Push. Push harder, fuck! See? That’s why nobody wants to talk to you. Push. Push. Here it is. I can see the head.

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): It’s like you’d get pregnant with one of your dildos.

FRIEND (USER X): More respect, mother fucker.

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): But, there’s nothing wrong with having some toys, isn’t it?

FRIEND (USER X): Shh, quiet! It’s coming out. It’s a boy!

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): This shit can’t be real.

FRIEND (USER X): Here comes another one! Push hard princess, harder! Oh, it’s a girl. Alejandro, you are now an inflatable twins father. Congrats!

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): Fuck it! I’m going to sue the company.

FRIEND (USER X): What do you going to tell them? I got one of your dolls pregnant, can you return my money back? Maybe, they were made in China. Do you speak Chinese?

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): Ok then, Give me something sharp.

FRIEND (USER X): Are you going to kill them? Are you gonna kill them?

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): To have them killed, they have to be alive in the first place.

FRIEND (USER X): But look how the babies are crying, and that doll has fall in love with you.

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): You’re right, maybe I should sell them online. An abuser could buy them, that’s for sure; or an organ trafficker.

FRIEND (USER X): You are fucked up.

ALEJANDRO (ACTOR): That was a good one, don’t deny it. Just help me out. Or, are you an activist of a sex doll’s fetus lives organization?

FRIEND (USER X): Ok, take this needle, blow them up, and let’s get dinner.

OUTRO: Twins, starred by Bernardo García and someone who wanted to do catharsis by acting through WhatsApp.

WhatsActs. Created by Festival Internacional de Teatro de Manizales. From October 20 to 28.

If this is how two minutes of acting feels, imagine the entire theatre play season.

Buy your tickets at Tuboleta.com

TIME TRIAL SCRIPT 001

INTRO: Festival Internacional de Teatro de Manizales presents:

Time trial

CYCLIST (ACTOR): Hey! What it’s going on, are you blind? Where did you learn to drive?

DRIVER (USER): Your mother taught me.

CYCLIST (ACTOR): Don’t you see that I have the way, and I’m going on a bicycle?

DRIVER (USER): The highway is for the cars. Use the bikeway.

CYCLIST (ACTOR): Come out and make me, old man.

DRIVER (USER): (Cough) Old man? Take a look of yourself in a mirror, Mother fucker. You Shouldn’t go in a bicycle, but in a wheelchair.

CYCLIST (ACTOR): And you shouldn’t go in a van, but in a hearse. Don’t you gonna come out? Or you shit yourself in the diapers.

DRIVER (USER): (Cough harder) At least I have diapers. Not like you, that have a colostomy bag, and no teeth (cough), have no teeth (cough).

CYCLIST (ACTOR): (Cough and laugh) Senile. Senile old guy (cough). Come out and I will give you a lesson with my cane.

DRIVER (USER): (Cough) Speak louder, fucker.

CYCLIST (ACTOR): What?

DRIVER (USER): (Cough) The mummy needs an ambulance? (Laugh with trouble)

CYCLIST (ACTOR): (Hard breathing) What do you said? (Hard breathing) Where I am?

DRIVER (USER): (Laugh with trouble) I always, I always imagined my last day like this. (Cough) But at least you are like a mummy, old fucker (laugh). See you up there (cough) or maybe, down there (cough). You know, I never wanted to live. Today is the best day of my life. Why? Because I’m leaving this dimension today. And from the other place, I’m gonna drop all those cyclist motherfuckers like you. (Cough). Cyclist piece of shit. (Cough with trouble) (Dies).

OUTRO: Time Trial, starred by Fabio Rubiano and someone who wanted to do catharsis by acting through WhatsApp.

WhatsActs. Created by Festival Internacional de Teatro de Manizales. From October 20 to 28.

If this is how two minutes of acting feels, imagine the entire theatre play season.

Buy your tickets at Tuboleta.com

NEW YEAR IN APRIL SCRIPT 001

INTRO: Festival Internacional de Teatro de Manizales presenta:

NEW YEAR IN APRIL

GRANDMOTHER (ACTRESS): Ush! What is it, Mijo? What’s that noise?

GRANDSON (USER): (Frightened) Grandma shhh, lower your voice. Quiet Grandma.

GRANDMOTHER (ACTRESS): Why mijo? Is that sound…?

GRANDSON (USER): (Doubtful) Fireworks, Grandma.Those are fireworks.

GRANDMOTHER (ACTRESS): Fireforks? Why?

GRANDSON (USER): End of the year’s party (sobs.) It’s the first of January.

GRANDMOTHER (ACTRESS): Oh, my boy! Happy new year! The grapes! Where are the grapes!

GRANDSON (USER): (Sobs) Happy new year Granma. Happy new year.

GRANDMOTHER (ACTRESS): Mijo! We must go and wish a happy new year to the others. Let’s go!

GRANDSON (USER): (Frightened) Don’t! Don’t. Stay here. Stay here with me. Please, stay with me!

GRANDMOTHER (ACTRESS): What? What’s the problem? Why are we hiding?

GRANDSON (USER): Because (clear his throat), because we are playing hide and seek, as always, in every New Year’s Eve. Don’t you remember?

GRANDMOTHER (ACTRESS): Hide and seek? Are you insane? Let’s go! We’re going to miss the dinner.

GRANDSON (USER): Quiet! Don’t you see? We are winning! They still haven’t found us. Because… if they found us…

GRANDMOTHER (ACTRESS): Are you out of your mind? I’m done with this. I’m going to find Julia.

GRANDSON (USER): Grandma, nooo! Grandmaaaa! (Crying) Stupid old lady.

OUTRO: New Year in April, starred by Juanita Cetina and someone who wanted to do catharsis by acting through WhatsApp.

WhatsActs. Created by Festival Internacional de Teatro de Manizales. From October 20 to 28.

If this is how two minutes of acting feels, imagine the entire theatre play season.

Buy your tickets at Tuboleta.com

WATER BILL SCRIPT 001

INTRO: Festival Internacional de Teatro de Manizales presenta:

EL RECIBO DEL AGUA

DAUGHTER (USER): Mom, I need to tell you something.

MOTHER (ACTRESS): What happened? Don’t scare me.

DAUGHTER (USER):I’ve been thinking about what we talked. I decided…

MOTHER (ACTRESS): My love, I forgot to tell you. I figured out why we didn’t have water service. Well, I was paying the water bill of our neighbor next door.

DAUGHTER (USER): Mom!

MOTHER (ACTRESS): That’s what the water service girl told me. The company made a mistake, and they delivered our bill to the neighbor, and theirs to us.

DAUGHTER (USER): Mom, it’s about the pregnancy!

MOTHER (ACTRESS): So, I’m going to talk to the neighbor about the issue, I think his name is José. And this is how he answered me!

DAUGHTER (USER): I’m not having it.

MOTHER (ACTRESS): Wait for this! That miserable said that it was my fault that I didn’t read well the numbers of the bill. Can you believe it? And that miserable knew, and didn’t pay, and didn’t told us. Shameless. But I solved it, I speak with the water service, and they said that the service will be restored today. And cut it down to him. Feels like justice.

DAUGHTER (USER):Listen to me! I’m gonna have an abortion.

MOTHER (ACTRESS): Look. Think about it, yes? Julian wants to have the baby and he loves you.

DAUGHTER (USER): But I don’t want to. I’m not ready for it.

MOTHER (ACTRESS): Look, having you was a blessing.

DAUGHTER (USER): But mom, you said that it will be fine whatever I choose. You never listen to me. You are always in your things. The water bill, who cares about the water bill. If it comes, if it not. Which blessing I am to you, if you ignore me, and we just had a stupid conversation, because you only care about the water bill. Who cares. And the neighbor, what’s going on with him? Listen to me for once in your live, please!

OUTRO: Water Bill, starred by Sharon Pacheco and someone who wanted to do catharsis by acting through WhatsApp.

WhatsActs. Created by Festival Internacional de Teatro de Manizales. From October 20 to 28.

If this is how two minutes of acting feels, imagine the entire theatre play season.

Buy your tickets at Tuboleta.com

Colombia has experienced a concerning trend in cultural consumption, with theater attendance declining by 8.5 points between 2010 and 2020. Against this backdrop, the objective of our campaign was to reverse this trend and achieve a 6% growth in attendance compared to 2022.

The festival saw significant growth across various metrics:

- Website visits increased by 22,029, with 60% attributed to SEO on Google.

- Instagram recorded 8,113 visits, reaching 57,470 individuals and generating 11,899 interactions with the content.

- Paying ticket sales surged by 67.4%, resulting in an additional 15,017 tickets compared to 2022. This brought the total attendance to 22,425 individuals.

Instead to do a classic radio advertising to promote a theater festival, we create a radio and audio theater campaign with four theater plays and give people the chance to become a main character in every play.

Every theater play is unique, because all the users had to improvise the last part of the story.

Through a WhatsApp chatbot development, we turn a whole story into a single audio file with the complete theater play, a customized poster