Roser Vilajosana: "In the theater, the technical team is the glue that holds the castle together."

A human tower builder as a child and an actress as an adult, Roser Vilajosana continues to make strides in acting without forgetting her roots in the blue shirt of the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia. The Barcelona native actively participated in the great castles in the history of the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia until her professional activity forced her to step aside. The youngest of three siblings combines her passion for human tower building with the medium (Oriol) and the theater with her eldest, the actor Ferran Vilajosana, with whom she has co-directed. L3 Fontana, her first work as an author.

Lately, she has been able to unite the two worlds, being part of the cast of Puberty. The series, directed by Letícia Dolera and which will premiere this fall, is set in a human tower group, and Vilajosana plays the role of the children's leader.

You enter the human towers out of family tradition and encouraged by your siblings.

— Yes, it's that beautiful thing about being able to share passions. My brothers wanted to build castles, and they first spent a few years in Sants, but we settled in Gràcia when I was barely old enough to start climbing.

And how did you get into the world of theater?

— It's entirely thanks to my parents, who love the theater with all their hearts. They haven't made it into a profession, but they do dedicate their time to the Cercle de Gràcia theater, and we've been performing plays since we were babies.

How long were you able to combine the two activities?

— Practically until I was 18, when I wasn't working that much as an actress yet. When a job came up, I'd stop everything, do the work, and then return to the human towers. In 2017, I moved to Madrid to train, and I realized that my relationship with the human towers was going to change. I could enjoy the social aspect, but I couldn't have the dynamic of going to every rehearsal.

However, you end up joining the Madrid human tower group.

— I didn't climb castles for a year, but one day I saw there was a rehearsal and went to say hello. But I quickly got on board and got back in. In a small group, having someone who already knows how to climb is a huge help.

What do you think both activities have in common?

— In theater, it's always seemed to me that the main character is the technical crew and the main character is the four people you see on screen, but you really can't make a film with just actors; you need that whole brutal technical team to support it.

How do you experience the castells now?

— Now I associate them more with the more social side, although I try to go to some shows, especially those in Barcelona or in the plazas I like. Also, when there's an important day, I go to rehearsal that week to see how the tests are going.

Recently, you directed the play L3 Fontana. Have you ever heard yourself as a group leader?

— Absolutely, I quickly saw the similarity. In my case, she's also the group leader who goes up to the castle. Obviously, just like as the group leader, I think it's better for her to be out, but there are times when, for the good of the castle, or the work, she can help.

Now, you have also filmed the series Puberty, by Letícia Dolera. How did you experience it?

— When I play a role, I try to immerse myself in the subject at some level, but of course, in this case, I arrived with my homework done and with a good grade. I truly felt at home on that shoot; I just had to try to collaborate artistically. I'm very grateful to Leticia, because she was very open to letting me add small details for the sake of the story and to ensure it was authentic from the perspective of a casteller group.