A DOOR OPEN TO THE SEA, play by Viviana Marcela Iriart, available for sale on Amazon

 

 

Play. Argentina, early 1990s. Sandra and Dunia, childhood friends who were detained and disappeared by the dictatorship in a concentration camp for being pacifists, reunite after Sandra's years in exile.

The emotional reunion gives way to the shocking realization of how the dictatorship managed to separate them and create two communities: one for those who stayed and one for those condemned to exile.

Suddenly, an abyss opens before their eyes, leaving them on opposite shores.

Can they build a bridge to unite them?

 

Dr. Susana D. Castillo, University of San Diego, United States:

“…...the play explores the uprooting of its two characters on different levels. On one level, the play deals with the anxious reunion of two women separated for ten years…

Aptly, the initial encounter is choreographed as a slow dance in which the two women try to find each other—as if in a mist—while simultaneously suppressing the outward expression of their conflicting emotions… Thus, they will move—with caution and restraint—from reminiscence to laughter, from song to nostalgia, from distance…to the tango!...

(...) It is worth adding that Viviana Marcela Iriart—novelist and journalist—sought refuge in the Venezuelan Embassy at the age of 21, a period that marked the beginning of her exile, which would take her to various parts of the world before she settled in Venezuela…”

Available for sale on Amazon

 

Viviana Marcela Iriart (1958) is an Argentine-Venezuelan writer, playwright, and interviewer.

She has published "La Casa Lila" ( novel), "Interviews" (interviews with cultural figures, in English), and "¡Bravo, Carlos Giménez!" (biography). She compiled the free-to-read book "María Teresa Castillo-Carlos Giménez-Festival Internacional de Teatro de Caracas 1973-1992", a collaborative work with José Pulido, Rolando Peña, Karla Gómez, Carmen Carmona, and Roland Streuli.

"A DOOR OPEN TO THE SEA", as well as her forthcoming novel "Lejos de Casa", is based on her experiences with the Argentine dictatorship and exile.

MARÍA TERESA CASTILLO-CARLOS GIMÉNEZ -FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE TEATRO DE CARACAS 1973-1992, compilación de Viviana Marcela Iriart, prólogo de José Pulido, portada de Rolando Peña-Karla Gómez, producción Carmen Carmona, Roland Streuli, fotografías. Diciembre 2023

 

©Rolando Peña-Karla Gómez

El libro María Teresa Castillo-Carlos Giménez-Festival Internacional de Teatro de Caracas 1973-1992,  homenaje a los 50 años del primer FITC, a los 30 años de la muerte de Carlos Giménez y a los 11 años de la desaparición de María Teresa Castillo, esos seres mágicos que fueron quienes lo inventaron y lo dirigieron durante 20 años, es el resultado de la unión de un equipo de personas maravillosas que se unieron para hacerlo posible, donando su arte, su tiempo y su dinero: el poeta José Pulido (prólogo); el artista multimedia Rolando Peña y  la directora de arte Karla Gómez (portada);  la gerente cultural  Carmen Carmona (producción general);   el fotógrafo  Roland Streuli (fotografías)  y la escritora  Viviana Marcela Iriart, en idea, edición, entrevistas y producción general.

El poeta José Pulido, en una parte de su magnífico prólogo, nos cuenta:

“María Teresa parecía un terremoto de entusiasmos. Nada era imposible para su voluntad de generar actividades que semejaran siempre una siembra fundamental. Ella se desvivía por demostrar la espiritualidad del país, la inteligencia del país, la fertilidad intelectual del país.

 Es de imaginar lo que ocurrió cuando ella y Carlos Giménez se conocieron y se juntaron en torno a un objetivo, amando el destino del arte.

 Porque Carlos Giménez era un terremoto de entusiasmos: nada era imposible para su voluntad de generar actividades. Él la miró y le dijo: “Hagamos buen teatro, señora María Teresa”. Y ella también lo miró y de una vez le dijo: “hagamos eso, muchacho querido”.

 

“Ephémere”, Ko Murobushi Company, Japón, 1992. ©Roland Streuli

 

El libro cuenta con catálogos del FITC, textos de Carlos Giménez y María Teresa Castillo y valiosos testimonios de personalidades de la cultura mundial: la dramaturga y escritora Elisa Lerner; el director del diario El Nacional, Miguel Henrique Otero; el dramaturgo José Gabriel Núñez; el director y dramaturgo fundador del Theja, José Simón Escalona; el escritor y crítico Rodolfo Izaguirre; el diseñador de iluminación y gerente cultural mexicano, Ángel Ancona; la cofundadora de la Compañía Nacional de Teatro y gerente cultural, Elaiza Irizarri; el cineasta y escritor Alberto Ferreras; la actriz, directora y productora Teresa Selma; el actor y docente Roberto Moll, la dramaturga Indira Paez; la ex directora general del CONAC y escritora, Norka Valladares; el dramaturgo y director Elio Palencia; el actor y productor Karl Hoffman; el artista multimedia José Augusto Paradisi Rangel; la actriz y docente Francis Rueda; el director y gerente cultural José Luis Montero Conde; la gerente cultural francesa Bernardette Chaudé; el actor y cofundador de Rajatabla, Juan Pagés; el director de Rajatabla, William Lopez; el director y fundador del Theatron Centro Dramático, Rodolfo Molina; el director y dramaturgo José Dominguez; la consejera académica y gerente cultural Marta Queralt Vila; el dramaturgo y director Daniel Uribe; el actor y director Aníbal Grunn; el productor y escritor Armando Africano; el actor y productor Ángel Acosta; el actor argentino Alvin Astorga; el ex director de la Casa del Artista, Juan José Bartolomeo; el gerente cultural Marcos Belisario; el director y fundador del grupo Bagazos, Gerardo Blanco; el músico cubano Juan Marcos Blanco; el actor Roberto Calvarese; el realizador de escenografía Esmeiro Herrera; el diseñador de iluminación Jose Jimenez; el actor Vito Lonardo; el fotógrafo Nicola Rocco; el actor Gerardo Luongo Zoppi; el actor y director Alfonso Rey; el actor Manuel Villalba; la ex empleada del Ateneo de Caracas, María Magdalena Leseur Maldonado y testimonios del equipo realizador.

El libro María Teresa Castillo-Carlos Giménez-FITC 1973-1992, de lectura gratuita, edición de Escritoras Unidas & Cía. Editoras, 22 de diciembre de 2023, fue realizado sin subsidios ni aportes de la empresa privada.  Solicítalo sin cargo a: edicioneschoroni@gmail.com

ABOUT TO TAKE OFF... excerpt from the book "How to endure life with HUMOR", Confidences of an actor, by Jairo Carthy

 

ABOUT TO TAKE OFF...

During the filming of the first movie in which I had the pleasure of participating, I experienced a very, very improbable episode, but I assure you it is true.

We were filming on the outskirts of Maracaibo, it was a Wednesday, and I was performing in a play in Caracas, which was the final week of the season. The clauses in my contract stated that I could film until noon that day, as I had to fly to Caracas to do the performance that night, and starting the following Monday, they could use my time as they saw fit since I would no longer have theater performances.

Up to that point, everything was going very well. The detail was that it was almost 3 PM, the last flight to Caracas left at 4, and we were on the outskirts of the capital. To top it off, the scene we were filming was none other than the death of my character, a terrible hitman, who, to the delight of the cinema audience, would be killed with many shots and there would be a lot of blood. Well, in reality, blood flowed throughout the movie since they killed the entire cast; it was not for nothing that it was called "The Slaughter of Santa Bárbara."

Well, a Spanish special effects makeup artist was in charge of my terrible appearance. Among all the things he did to me, he carefully introduced a product similar to gel into my scalp. It was more like a black gum that would melt with heat and give a very natural blood-like appearance that would run down my temples, my eyes, my neck, etc. Finally, we filmed the scene. The assistants were ready with towels, water, and my clothes to remove and clean any trace of my character. There, in the middle of the street and as quickly as I could, I took off my makeup and hopped into a taxi heading to "La Chinita" airport to catch my flight back to Caracas.

We were going over 120 km on those roads; it seemed like we would never arrive. I felt like Cinderella rushing home before the clock struck twelve and the magic was gone.

Finally, we arrived. I jumped out of the taxi and headed to the airline counter, where I encountered an employee who looked terrified and informed me that the flight was about to take off.

I wondered: what’s wrong with this guy? I wanted to die; I had to catch that flight no matter what! I asked him which way to the runway, and he pointed to some ramps. I looked like a figure skater flying down those ramps, and at the end, I encountered some national guards who obviously stopped me and looked at me in horror. I said to them:

·        Excuse me, but I have to catch that flight; it’s a matter of life or death... The guard looked at his partner, who nodded, and he communicated with the control tower via radio to stop the plane. Again, they both looked at me almost with pity. I thought: everyone here is crazy. The official said: Run! Run, the plane is waiting for you!

I don’t know if you know that those small planes have a rear entrance or exit, yes, like from the back of the plane. As I was running, I saw a door opening, but no stairs came down. When I arrived and looked up, the terrified flight attendant told me:

·        Get on, get on... and I wondered: How the heck? Finally, a small ladder of about two steps came down, and it was still very high. Like a primate, I climbed up the steps and sat in a random seat. The flight attendant told me: - Don’t move; we are about to take off. Of course, all the passengers' eyes were on me, and I thought, why are they looking at me in horror? Finally, the plane took off, and the flight attendant kindly asked me:

·        Would you like something, a sedative? You look very pale, and I replied:

·        Well, water or something to drink, if you don’t mind.

They assigned me my seat, and the guy sitting next to me almost yelled and said:

·        Sir, what happened to you, for God’s sake!!! I didn’t understand anything. But when I went to wipe the sweat off my face, what I wiped was "blood." The famous product did its job, and of course, they hadn’t removed everything they had put on my scalp, so it did its function. I was bleeding quite naturally.

The incredible thing about this story, which I have always wondered, is how they let a person who was supposedly injured get on a plane? They never asked me my name, nor did they ask for my ticket... nothing. The important thing is that I was able to arrive in time for my performance... Oh! And that scene that took so much effort was useless. We repeated it a few weeks later in Calabozo, and with all the calm and tranquility, I enjoyed the death of my character.

By the way, the guy who traveled next to me… yes, the one who yelled, was none other than Amílcar Boscán, the soloist of the well-known group "Guaco."

 

On Amazon

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS ONLINE, story from the book ADVENTURES WITH SOCIAL MEDIA by JAIRO CARTHY, illustrations by LISARDO RICO

 

Once upon a time... There was a very beautiful young woman named Snow White. Although her name referred to her skin as pale as snow, her true beauty lay in her kindness and curiosity about the world. Snow White lived in a big city, where social media was a daily staple and everyone was connected through their devices.

One day, while browsing on her phone, Snow White came across a group of seven friends who shared their lives through a video channel called “The Digital Dwarfs.”

These seven friends were very different from each other, but they all shared a passion for technology and creativity. They spent their time singing and uploading many things on social media.

So strong was their passion that they took on some very original names. These were "ROMY," for ROM Memory, who was always taking selfies and sharing photography tips; "SOFTY" for software, an expert in programming who always had a new gadget to showcase; "DATA" for the data used, who made comedy videos and always managed to bring smiles; "HARDY" for the hard drive, who was always sleepy but liked to record relaxing nature sounds; "BLOGY" for the blogs published on social media, who was always in a bad mood and gave video game reviews; "GADGY" for the use of gadgets, the sweetest of them all, who did crafts; and "NET," obviously for the network, who dedicated himself to teaching how to make the most of social media.

Snow White began to follow them and was immediately drawn to their content and the beautiful and contagious songs and videos they uploaded, and soon became one of their most loyal followers. Through their videos, she learned about the importance of friendship, creativity, and, above all, authenticity. However, not everything was rosy.

There was a famous influencer known as the Evil Queen, who was beautiful and talented but also very jealous. Every day, she checked her statistics and became furious if someone got more “likes” or “followers” than she did.

When she saw that Snow White was starting to gain popularity through her interactions with the seven dwarfs, she became envious and decided to use her magic to get rid of Snow White.

So, one day, she posted a viral video full of malicious rumors about her, claiming that Snow White was stealing ideas and followers from others. The video went viral, and soon, Snow White’s reputation was in jeopardy. People began to unfollow her and criticize her without knowing the truth.

Desperate and sad, Snow White decided to step away from social media. She locked herself in her room, feeling lonely and lost. It was then that she received an unexpected message from the Seven Dwarfs. They reminded her how special she was and offered their unconditional support. —Don't let the Evil Queen get to you —said RE—. Authenticity will always shine brighter than any rumor. —We can help bring the truth to light —proposed SOL—. Let’s make a video together!

With the support of her friends, Snow White decided to return to social media, and together they created a heartfelt video where they shared their experiences, talked about the importance of friendship and truth, and exposed the manipulation behind the Evil Queen's video. With their charisma and authenticity, the video went viral for the right reasons, and quickly, her followers began to return.

The Evil Queen, seeing that her plan had failed, felt even more jealous and frustrated, so in an attempt to bring Snow White down, she decided she had to act more cunningly and created a fake profile to sow discord among them and began to harass her followers.

But Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were not intimidated. They used their platform to speak about online harassment and how to confront it. With each post, their community grew stronger and more united.

They shared stories of support and friendship and began receiving messages of thanks from people who had gone through similar experiences.

In the end, the Evil Queen realized that her magic could not compete with authenticity and kindness. One day, while reviewing the comments on her latest video, she realized that Snow White's community had grown so much that she felt part of something special.

For the first time in a long time, the Evil Queen felt a glimmer of hope and a desire to change, so she decided to make a video in which she apologized to Snow White and acknowledged that she had been wrong.

At first, Snow White's followers were skeptical, but Snow White, with her big heart, accepted the apology and extended a friendly hand. —We all make mistakes —said Snow White in her video—. What’s important is learning from them and growing together.

The community came together to support the Evil Queen on her path to redemption. Thus, from unity and understanding, a new friendship emerged. Over time, the Evil Queen also became an ally and began working alongside Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on projects that promoted ideas to improve the community online.

And so, in a world where social media could be a battlefield, Snow White and the Digital Dwarfs proved that true magic lies in friendship, authenticity, and mutual support.

©Jairo Carthy

ADVENTURES WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

For sale on AMAZON

PUERTA ABIERTA AL MAR, obra de teatro de Viviana Marcela Iriart, noviembre 2025

 

Obra de teatro. Argentina, principio años ´90. Sandra y Dunia, amigas desde la infancia que fueron detenidas-desaparecidas por la dictadura en un campo de concentración, por ser pacifistas, se reencuentran después de varios años de exilio de Sandra.
Del emocionante reencuentro pasan a la sorpresa descubrir cómo la dictadura logró separarlas y crear dos pueblos: el de las personas que se quedaron y el de las personas que fueron condenadas al exilio.
De repente, un abismo se abre ante sus ojos, dejándolas en orillas separadas.
¿Podrán crear un puente que las una?

Dra. Susana D. Castillo, Universidad de San Diego, California: "...la obra explora el desarraigo de sus dos personajes en diferentes planos. En un primer nivel, la obra versa sobre el re-encuentro ansioso de dos mujeres separadas durante diez años…
Acertadamente el encuentro inicial está coreografiado en una danza lenta en la que las dos mujeres tratan de hallarse
–como en una neblina – al mismo tiempo que reprimen la exteriorización de sus conflictivas emociones... Así ellas pasarán -con cautela y mesura- de la evocación a la risa, del canto a la nostalgia, de la distancia….al tango!...
(...)
Es oportuno añadir que Viviana Marcela Iriart –novelista y periodista – estuvo refugiada en la Embajada de Venezuela a los 21 años, etapa en la que empezó su exilio que la llevaría a varias latitudes hasta ubicarse en Venezuela…”.

De venta en AMAZON

JOSÉ PULIDO in the book INTERVIEWS (2025) by Viviana Marcela Iriart “I'm like a castaway clinging to his tongue”

 

José Pulido. Photo: Vasco Szinetar

José Pulido was part of one of the most beautiful and beloved traditions in Caracas: Sunday, buying the papers, having breakfast at the bakery, going up the Ávila, enjoying the blue butterflies and the singing of Quebrada Quintero, spreading the papers among the stones and then… José Pulido and his interview completed the happiness of the day. It did not matter who he interviewed, because the real pleasure was reading him. And my friends would go: what does Pulido say? Have you read what Pulido said? Pulido is so wonderful! Pulido was the main character. Then came the person being interviewed. Because reading José Pulido is good for you. It gives you joy. It makes you think. Because José Pulido writes with humor, tenderness, compassion, intelligence, love. José Pulido the poet, the writer, the journalist. The interviewer who created a new style. The kind, simple and tender man who creates bridges for people to meet, to cross, to discover the other side of their side.

 

José Pulido, who does not deserve to be exiled like he is today, walking around Genoa while he goes around Caracas.

 

And José Pulido is also Carlos Giménez, who he and I love so much, and that beautiful article he wrote: Carlitos sin olvido (Carlitos without oblivion). And he is that marvelous interview he just made to another wonderful and beloved figure from Caracas: Rolando Peña.  An interview that is like a story written with four hands.  An interview that is like a love letter.

 

And José Pulido is this poem of his, which I find while I'm writing this and then I'm out of words.

 

 

THE OLD SONG

 

Before antiquity arrived

the birds that died

turned into carnelian and tourmaline

John claimed in the Book of Revelation that the face of god was made of jasper and carnelian

birds probably made one of their best graveyards in that face

 

All mountains have been built out of birds' ancestors

 

From a yellow, blue and green bird

who dies when put in a cage and sings in beautiful fury

the mountain of Caracas was born creating ripples of water and branches

 

the Ávila of stones and roots, spit with Pleiades

is our most concrete mountain

 

I wish I could sweep its pathways with a broom of dreams

clean them up of all miseries

 

It is so big it could only fit into the universe once

when the heavens dilated

so that mangos could bloom

 

hummingbirds in the Ávila seem as if they were invented by Borges:

they fly backwards because they care more about the beginning than the end

 

the Ávila is huge but it is not so hard to carry in a bag

it is completely portable when carried as a feeling

especially if you have looked at its mermaid-like curves,

its crests resembling a resting animal

Or if you have ever heard the waters talk in Quebrada Quintero

about how to go down to the Caribbean Sea without having to ask for

directions in the valley

 

In the afternoon the mountain opens its eye made of sun

An eye that falls asleep on the voracious head of dry trees

at night it crouches with its breath of burning plants

ready to jump again on the fearful valley with its rabbit heart

this is the mountain that feeds on looks

that on the beach side is the Ávila of Reverón

deranged by light

and on the Caracas side is the Ávila of Cabré

borrowing the iridescence of the sparkling hummingbird

and all Pleiades sneeze with love when molasses grass stirs,

the delicious herb

and at the top and the bottom it is the Ávila of everyone and no one

a mountain that is like the Virgin of Coromoto and the Virgin of the Valley

like La Chinita and the Divina Pastora

because you do not have to know its pathways

to believe it represents our customs

 

The mountain was a bedroom for clouds a million years ago

and it still is.

The mountain was there making guacharacas

before anyone even thought of building the wall

that we would call town;

this ancient air is what comforts me.

The Ávila is a bird with apple mint in its wings,

it is the pain of fires kept within a case made of roots.

The Ávila is like saying amen when you pray for Caracas.

 

 

 

José Pulido, Salamanca, España.

 

 Carlos Giménez, Barbarito Diez, María Teresa Castillo,
Pablo Milanés,Miguel Henrique Otero, José Pulido...
"Macondo", María Teresas`s house

José, how has coronavirus treated you? What did you do during the quarantine?

 

I don't think coronavirus has treated anyone well. Fortunately I haven't got it because I'm always shut in writing and I only go out to walk up to the nearest mountain. I visit populated areas when I have to read poetry somewhere.

 

What was the first thing you did when the quarantine was lifted?

 

For me, it hasn't been lifted. I go out to walk but I wear a mask. Here you are fined if you don't wear it in the street. I haven't had any plans for when we get to the end of this. Beer tastes as good at home as it does in the bar.

 

Are you writing anything? What?

 

Poetry. I do some interviews for amusement. Poetry is my constant passion.

 

What are your plans for the mid-term?

 

Not dying yet to see what things have changed.

 

(...)

Excerpt from the book INTERVIEWS by Viviana Marcela Iriart, graphic design by Jairo Carthy, sold on Amazon

On sale on AMAZON