Manual de Autoayuda
A guest presentation from Chile by Teatro Infausto.
Created and directed by Nicolás Venegas
Featuring María Figueroa and Nicolás Venegas
Genre: Dark comedy
Language: Spanish with English supertitles
Running Time: 60 minutes
Age: 16+
Dates: August 13 to August 15, 2026
Thursday, August 13 - 7:00 pm
Friday, August 14 - 7:00 pm
Saturday, August 15 - 3:00 pm
Tickets
$20 - General Admission
Groups of 10 or more: Contact us for group rates.
Secure checkout via TicketTailor.
Location
IATI Theater - Underground Theater
64 E 4th St
New York, NY 10003
ADA/Wheelchair Accessible
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About
IATI Theater presents Teatro Infausto’s Manual de Autoayuda, a dark comedy from Chile that blends theater, performance, and autofiction to examine self-help culture and the contemporary pursuit of happiness.
A performer takes the stage and declares his permanent inability to be happy. In search of an answer, he turns to the tools that neoliberal culture offers to manage his constant dissatisfaction: self-help, coaching, and their many variations. Moving from the personal and intimate toward the political and collective, the work asks: Is it possible to achieve happiness as a permanent state?
Through biographical storytelling, irony, and moments of audience interaction, Manual de Autoayuda explores the pressures surrounding happiness, emotional well-being, and personal fulfillment. The production incorporates audience interaction as part of the performance; participation is always voluntary.
The Team
Nicolás Venegas, Creator, Director, and Performer
María Figueroa, Performer
Daniela León, General Producer
Andrés Abrigo, Sound and Cinematography Designer
Cristóbal Manríquez, Lighting Designer
About Teatro Infausto
Founded in Chile in 2019, Teatro Infausto brings together dark humor, social critique, and performance-based experimentation. Through irony and interdisciplinary theatrical forms, the company examines the fragile and often contradictory ways individuals construct their identities within contemporary society.
The company began with Quiero Entregarte Mi Corazón, supported by Fondart Regional. Its subsequent work includes El Estado Natural de las Cosas, Manual de Autoayuda, El Alma al Trabajo, and FIGURACIONES. Developed through a 2023 artistic residency at Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (GAM), Manual de Autoayuda premiered in 2024 at Teatro del Puente and has since been presented at venues and festivals in Chile and Argentina.
With support from:
Proyecto financiado por el Fondo Nacional de Fomento y Desarrollo de las Artes Escénicas, convocatoria 2026.
