Isaac Díaz Pardo was born in the house/workshop of his father, Camilo Díaz Baliño, a leading stage designer. He grew up observing the creative process involved in the advertising posters and stage sets, as well as how the sets were adapted for the stage. This life, which included a great friendship with Ricard Salvat and Manuel Lourenzo, would lead to this artistic form being a constant presence in his life, as author, stage designer or creator of costumes, masks or posters for various plays; or as a patron supporting authors and theatrical companies.
Isaac Díaz Pardo grew up observing the creative process of the advertising posters and theatrical sets, as well how the sets were adapted for the stage of his father’s workshop.
He can be classified into playwright, creator of posters and stage designer, as well as his role as editor and promotor:
Stage designs
The greatest product was his friendship with Ricard Salvat:
- 1972, Ligazón. Auto para siluetas, by Ramón M.ª del Valle-Inclán. Companyia Nacional Àngel Guimerà, Barcelona. Director: Ricard Salvat.
- 1972, El embrujado, by Ramón M.ª del Valle-Inclán. Companyia Nacional Àngel Guimerà. Director: Ricard Salvat.
- 1980, Música só para ti, by Frank Xaver Kroetz. Companyia Nacional Àngel Guimerà. Director: Ricard Salvat.
- 1980, O burro, by Xosé Ruibal, para a Compañía Ledicia.
- 1980, Dansen by Bertold Brecht, for the Compañía Luis Seoane.
- 1991, Don Hamlet, by Álvaro Cunqueiro, produced by the Centro Dramático Galego. Director: Ricard Salvat. The production of masks by Díaz Pardo was particularly notable.
The theatre was a constant in his life, either as an author or as creator of stage sets, costumes, masks or posters for plays or as a patron, supporting authors and theatrical companies.
Posters
- 1980, O burro, by Xosé Ruibal, for the Compañía Ledicia.
- 1980, Dansen, by Bertold Brecht, for the Compañía Luis Seoane.
- 1980, 17th International Theatre Festival in Sitges.
A casa dos afogados, de Miguel Anxo Fernán-Vello. Dirección: Manuel Lorenzo. Centro Dramático Galego, 1991 - 1991, A casa dos afogados, by Miguel Anxo Fernán-Vello. Director: Manuel Lorenzo. Centro Dramático Galego, 1991.
- 1993, Electra, after Eurípides. Version and director: Manuel Lorenzo. EDG. Uvegá.
- 1997, A esmorga, by Eduardo Blanco Amor. Sarabela Teatro.
Texts
Isaac wrote Midas and O ángulo de pedra, two classical tragedies, in the years 1949 and 1951, respectively, in Castro de Samoedo. They were published together in Argentina by Citania in 1957, with illustrations and covers by Luis Seoane. It was premiered in 2018 by Lino Braxe and the Provincial Council of La Coruña, accompanied by a facsimile of the work, also published by the Provincial Council.
As an illustrator or cover designer of plays, A fiestra Valdeira (third edition) and A doncela guerreira, by Rafael Dieste. Creator of the “blind man chapbooks” Paco Pixiñas and A nave espacial, with verses by Celso Emilio Ferreiro and music by Ramiro Cartelle. He also invented a mechanical blind man who sang the songs.
Publisher and promoter
As a promoter in this art form, Isaac published many plays and books about the theatre in his role as publisher, by authors from various generations, such as Luis Seoane, E. Blanco Amor, Rafael Dieste, Ramón de Valenzuela, Tomás Barros, R. Carballo Calero, Luis Manteiga, A. Cotarelo Valledor, C. Fernández Mazas, Manuel Lourenzo, Euloxio R. Ruibal, Lino Braxe, Manuel Lourenzo, Francisco Pillado, etc.
Isaac was a playwright, creator of posters and stage designer, as well as a publisher and promoter in the theatrical world.
He was always available for theatrical companies, and his group of companies had three auditoriums, in O Castro, in the Galician Institute of Information, and in Sargadelos, with a specific architecture for putting on plays.
In Sargadelos, from 1973 and for 35 years, coinciding with the Experiences of the Free School and Ceramics Laboratory, later called the Summer Encounters of Sargadelos, the programming of these events included productions of plays by a variety of companies, such as the Escuela Dramática Gallega, Teatro da Mari Gaila, Mofa y Befa, etc.
He was always available for theatrical companies, and the Sargadelos group had three auditoriums, located in O Castro, in the Galician Institute of Information and in Sargadelos, with a specific architecture for putting on plays.
Also of note is his work in conserving in the Carlos Maside Museum the masks and figures for the play Os vellos non deben namorarse, made in Argentina. Twenty plaster masks in all that represent the actors, the costumes and the settings for the stage make up one of the most important collections in the funds of the Carlos Maside Museum