KPFK's Arts in Review Repertory Players and Pacific Radio Archives Present the Broadcast Premiere of CHE & ALLEN, 10/19

KPFK's Arts in Review (AIR) Repertory Players and Pacific Radio Archives present the broadcast premiere of Che & Allen - the imagined 1965 St. Patrick's Day meeting of Che Guevara and Allen Ginsberg in Limerick Ireland - airing Saturday, October 19 (10-11pm), on KPFK 90.7FM, hosted by producer/editor Mark Torres. Conceived and written by playwright/journalist Julio Martinez and directed byIrene Arranga, the production features Marcelo Tubert, Richard Heft and Gigi Perreau. In Southern California, the broadcast also can be heard on 98.7 FM in Santa Barbara; 99.5 FM in Ridgecrest/China Lake; and 93.7 FM in Rancho Bernardo/North San Diego, as well as streaming live, worldwide on www.kpfk.org.

It is historical fact that in the early part 1965, Ernesto "Che" Guevara led a Cuban delegation through a tour of Europe and North Africa, eventually departing to Cuba from London on March 12. When Guevara's plane developed engine trouble it put down at Shannon Airport in Ireland, where the delegation was hosted in the town of Limerick until suitable transportation could be arranged to complete their journey. It is also fact that Allen Ginsberg, who was in Europe at this time, arrived in Moscow on March 18, having departed from France.

Drawing from recordings and archival material housed at Pacifica Radio Archives, as well as from his own conversations with Allen Ginsberg during the late 1960s, Julio Martinez imagines what might have happened if Ginsberg had decided to take a "poet's holiday," traveling to Moscow by way of Limerick, Ireland, spending St. Patrick's Day (March 17) at the Bar in Hanratty's Hotel, coinciding with the arrival of Che Guevara and his delegation, who had decided to go on the town to "hoist a few."

Born in Argentina, Marcelo Tubert (Che) is known for his versatility. His four decades career includes work in all mediums. On TV, recurring and guest-starring appearances include: New Girl, Cane, CSI Miami, Supah Ninjas and Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns. His extensive voice career includes eight years with King of the Hill, as well as Kung Fu Panda II, Madagascar II, Over The Hedge, Shrek II, Shark Tale, Apocalypto, Passion of the Christ and many more. Tubert's extensive film work includes GI Joe, Retaliation (as the French President) and I, Alex Cross (as Cloche), directed by Rob Cohen. On stage, Marcelo has appeared at The Mark Taper, Yale Rep, Milwaukee Rep, New Mexico Rep, Taper, Too, The Old Globe in San Diego, Ojai Playwrights and Sundance. Tubert received the 2005 Ovation Award as Best Supporting Actor for his work in Andak Theatre Company's San Fran Scapin, an adaptation of Moliere's Scapin.

Richard Heft (Allen) is a scholar who enjoyed a brief but lucrative career as a national television quiz show contestant. A graduate of UCLA with an MFA in Screenwriting, Heft works regularly as a script reader/staff writer at an entertainment industry website. A founding member of KPFK's AIR Repertory, he was featured in O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi and To All a Good Night, while serving as narrator for All is Calm, All is Bright, Odyssey of the Nutcracker and Dickens' Journey.

Gigi Perreau (Narrator), an actress since the age of 2, has performed in radio, television, motion pictures and theatre, directed over 60 plays and musicals, and taught theatre for 23 years. Most recent work has included voice-overs in several animated feature films, including Fly Me To The Moon, and Sammy's Great Adventure for Illuminata Pictures. Miss Perreau is one of the first 50 stars to be honored with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Julio Martinez (playwright) has had an eclectic career in the arts - as a musician, actor/director, journalist/critic, radio host and playwright. For AIR Repertory, he penned: O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi (2006); Mark Twain's Dairy of Adam and Eve (2008); All is Calm All is Bright(2009); Odyssey of the Nutcracker (2010); To All a Good Night (2011) and Dickens' Journey - which simultaneously premiered on BBC Radio and Pacifica Radio in December 2012. Martinez is also a frequent contributor to Ruskin Group Theatre's L.A. Café Plays and Rogue Machine's Around the Clock Plays.

Irene Arranga (director) has enjoyed a successful acting career, including the premiere of Truman Capote's Other Voices, Other Rooms(with Swoosie Kurtz) at Buffalo Arena, a national tour of The Miracle Worker (opposite Mercedes Ruhl), TV series regular or recurring roles on ABC's Homeroom, Welcome Back Kotter, Secrets of Midland Heights and The Guns of Paradise. On radio, Arranga performed in LA Theatre Works' The Crucible (co-produced by the BBC) and The Pentagon Papers, as well as directing KPFK's AIR Repertory productions. She frequently directs for Ruskin's L.A. Café Plays. Arranga was co-founding executive producer of The Craig Dinner Theatre in Summit New Jersey.

Mark Torres (producer/editor) is senior producer/operations director, Pacifica Radio Archives and hosts KPFK's Travel Tips For Aztlan, a weekly Latin Alternative Music Radio show (Saturdays, 10-11PM). In a radio career spanning almost 25 years, Torres has served as technical director/editor for Radio Nation (1995-2002); producer/writer/editor for Voices of Pacifica (1996-1999); producer/writer/editor From The Vault (2007- present). In 2000, Torres was awarded the NFCB Golden Reel Award for his production of The Quentin Crisp Memorial program. His weekly Travel Tip from Aztlan has been accorded Best Radio Show honors by Los Angeles Magazine (2002) and selected Best Latin Rock Show by the international magazine, la Banda Elastica (1998).

The stage premiere of Che and Allen is planned for Spring 2014, to be announced. For more information, contact Julio Martinez atJulio@juliomartinez.net or call 818-648-6128.

To post a comment, you must register and login.