Description
STERILE TIMES
Book Summary
Temps estèrils brings together three independent plays by Toni Cabré—Vespres d'insomni (2023), Gaire re (2024), and Soc aquí per ajudar-te (2025)—that portray a world where certainties fade and the line between competence and banality becomes blurred. Through characters ranging from the corrupt and opportunistic to ambiguous figures, the author explores a society in which a few lead and benefit from the degradation, while the majority are relegated to a supporting role. Featuring a single, seemingly immaculate character—artificial intelligence—these pieces offer a critical and lucid look at the contemporary condition, while also celebrating forty years since the author's first theatrical publication.
What is it about?
The volume compiles three theatrical pieces that, although independent, share a worldview marked by uncertainty and moral ambiguity. In Vespres d'insomni (2023), Gaire re (2024), and Soc aquí per ajudar-te (2025), Toni Cabré places the reader before a landscape where it is difficult to distinguish between competence and superficiality, and where corruption, lies, and indolence run rampant. The characters—opportunists, predators, traitors, the bourgeois—represent the different faces of a society in decay, while artificial intelligence emerges as the only element that seems to maintain a certain purity. The book, with a prologue by Joan Cavallé, is presented as a celebration of Cabré's forty-year theatrical career, shedding new light on recurring themes and exploring others never before addressed.
Main themes
- Social and moral critique of contemporary society.
- The ambiguity between competence and banality in human relationships.
- Corruption, opportunism, and the degradation of values.
- The role of artificial intelligence as a counterpoint to human imperfection.
- Reflections on uncertainty and the lack of certainty in today's world.
Who is it recommended for?
This work is aimed at readers and theatergoers interested in contemporary drama in the Catalan language, especially those looking for critical, incisive texts with a strong social charge. It is also recommended for fans of Toni Cabré's work, as well as students and performing arts professionals who wish to explore theatrical proposals that address current issues from a biting and reflective perspective.
What this book contributes
- A theatrical trilogy that offers a lucid and critical view of current society, with complex characters and morally ambiguous situations.
- The opportunity to discover or delve deeper into the work of Toni Cabré, one of the most relevant Catalan playwrights, in a volume commemorating his forty-year career.
- Three independent pieces that can be read autonomously or as a whole that reinforces its message about contemporary degradation and uncertainty.
- A prologue by Joan Cavallé that contextualizes and enriches the reading, providing interpretative keys to the author's style and themes.
Technical specifications
- Author: CABRE MASJUAN, TONI
- Publisher: COSSETANIA
- Language: cat
- Subject: PLAYS, THEATRICAL TEXTS
- Collection: QUADERNS DE LA FONT DEL CARGOL
- Publication date: November 2025
- Number of pages: 192
- Weight: 530 g
Editorial review
Temps estèrils is presented as a solid and coherent theatrical proposal, bringing together three recent works by Toni Cabré in a commemorative volume. The work stands out for its ability to portray the moral complexity of the current world, using characters that embody the vices and contradictions of society. The contrast between human degradation and the apparent purity of artificial intelligence adds a layer of contemporary reflection that may be particularly attractive to audiences interested in theater of ideas. It is a recommended read for those looking for critical, well-constructed texts with a lucid look at our time.