Costa Rica Living with the Arts – You can see it all

Funny thing… I did not grow up immersed in the Arts. My upbringing focused more on snapping beans and hauling rocks for my father.

I dabbled in band and a few art classes, but I shuffled off to college rather oblivious to Beethoven, Mahler, Hockney, or Bergman.

When my daughter was born, the hormones must have altered the Arts Center of my brain because wherever a puppet show, concert, or play performed, we tried to be there.

In Costa Rica, this is not an easy thing to do. Advertisements appear in the newspapers sporadically and often the information is incomplete or wrong. I’ve driven across town several times only to find the performance was cancelled, incorrectly noted in the paper, or at a different time or place than posted.

I’ve run into blockades such as skateboard tournaments or oxen parades (it took us three attempts to make it to the Fiddler on the Roof).

But our determination paid off. We’ve seen fantastic performances. I imagine if I’d paid for all the same quality events in the States, I would’ve had to dip into the college savings fund. But prices are so reasonable that we’re usually sitting quite close and comfy for anywhere from free to $4.00 to a high of $36.00 for the Nutcracker Ballet (we were front row and center).

Many people don’t like San Jose. It is a mess, a menagerie of bad city planning quite an Ugly Betty. The “theater district” (that’s a stretch) does hold some charm. And, the National Theater is a gem, and the Melico Salizar has just been refurbished and is also quite nice.

Mothers I know complain and fear going to San Jose. Since I used to live downtown, I’m quite comfortable there and find it, well borderline/psychotic/sweet.

I traveled to New York last year with my daughter, who was 4½ at the time, and it was no cakewalk. We went to the MOMA, which had just opened. After surviving the subway with mittens, hats, tokens, and freezing toes, we paid $35.00 for a lunch – it was delicious, I’ll admit. But all my daughter wanted to do was go to a store and buy something. I threatened her in front of the Campbell Soup Cans by telling her the police man would put her in a dark closet if she kept whining.

Funny thing… I don’t know what is easy about the Arts. It’s hard to create art, find someone who’ll buy it, get it, appreciate it, be inspired by it, and then there’s always the parking.

A few weeks ago, I went downtown to see Gospel performance by a group from Washington D.C. Then, the next week, I went to King Lear, in English, at the National Theater. I couldn’t get a date – no one had a sitter and my husband went to the beach.

“Weren’t you afraid to go downtown?” everyone asked. NO, I just put my head down and go. It’s the only way I know how to get there. (And it beats canning pickles any day.)

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Written by Susan Lutz who is a film maker and writer living in Costa Rica. Her documentary film, The Coffee Dance available for sale an Amazon.com, follows a group of women in the depths of poverty as they strive for empowerment. She teaches film and lectures in Costa Rica. She’s produced radio documentaries and is currently finishing her first travel book on Costa Rica. She writes an internationally recognized blog on life in Costa Rica, Motherjungle.com and is the editor of the Organic Living Page on Allthingshealing.com

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Andrew Makarik

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Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.