Despite all the rumors to the contrary, Modified Arts ain’t dead. While its proprietors recently decided to change the establishment’s focus to more of an art gallery than a music venue (and thus, eliminate the sort of rock and indie shows that it regularly featured over the past decade), the Roosevelt Row institution will still host occasional bands and musicians, although they’ll be more of an experimental or genre-challenging sort.
the people over at modified arts are always sure to satisfy... they book the bands that you love. you have the opportunity to not only rock out to your favorite bands and get to see them in a cozy and intimate setting, there is always a good chance you can meet and chat with them afterward. hanging out here is like a religious musical experience... trust me, go at least once. you'll meet some really amazing people and have the time of your life!
An El Che Beyond Broadway’s Evita World Premiere Play in Spanish This Saturday, January 24, 7:30 p.m.
New Chicano/Latino Play Titled El Che: Exploring and Affirming Guevara’s Revolutionary Principles in a Currently Bankrupt Capitalist World
In Chicano/Latino Theater the image of a disillusioned and suicidal Ernesto “Che” Guevara after learning from a Chicano, quasi-hippy activist that the Cold War has ended, the fall of the Soviet Republics took place, and the United States occupies a unipolar hegemony in the world—as seen in the play A Bowl of Beings: Revolutionary Comedy about Life, Death, and Pizza (1992) by Culture Clash—has reigned until now supreme. However, the new play in Spanish titled El Che by Marcelino Quiñonez, an ASU graduate and upcoming actor and playwright, takes the viewer—via on-screen world maps tracing Guevara’s travels, key historical facts, guerrilla photos, acting videos, and energetic acting—into a refreshing historical and personal image of the world renowned revolutionary. In fact, Guevara’s portrayal is that of a philosophical revolutionary who readily lives praxis as a daily occurrence and yet has a tender and loving family relationship. Except for embracing armed struggle to achieve social justice and bringing children into wedlock, the new Che in Chicano/Theater is Christlike and a world symbol that, in following socialist theory, affirms capitalism will evolve into socialism. The viewer senses that the playwright has read carefully the complete works by Ernesto Guevara, including the anthology Venceremos! The Speeches and Writings of Che Guevara (1968) edited by John Gerassi, the guerrilla manual, and the bicycle diary; most likely, Quiñonez has probably also seen the several existing movies on El Che’s life and international revolutionary struggles (Cuba, Africa, Bolivia) in which he engaged. Like the recent life size statue dedicated to Ernesto Guevara in his hometown for his revolutionary work, the play El Che celebrates Guevara’s contribution to humanity. Although in Quiñonez’s play Ernesto Guevara also dies like in A Bowl of Beings, it is not for raiding a Dominos’ pizza store but for advancing the revolutionary struggle in Bolivia. The play El Che comes to us during a time in which a number Latin American countries (Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina) have veered to the left and embraced socialist policies—something in which former President George Bush also engaged by nationalizing several major United States banks and the new President Barack Obama may continue in such path with the approval of the Senate, the House of Representative, and the American people. Such bank nationalizations have been and are also being applied in European countries as a solution to a current bankrupt capitalist world. Here is where, in following Bertolt Brecht’s principles, the playwright can bring all these world changes into the dialogues and screen images in the play El Che. He can also weave into the dramatic text the struggles of the newly American unemployed, the millions facing home foreclosure, the decaying U.S. infrastructure, the superexploited and persecuted undocumented, the cutbacks to education and children’s health care, the homeless Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, and other social challenges in our midst. In these times, the revolutionary ideas and struggles in which Ernesto Guevara participated seem truly prophetic. You should go see the play this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the theater Modified Arts, 407 E. Roosevelt, Phoenix, Arizona 85004. Remember seating is limited. Please arrive early.
Review by Manuel de J. Hernandez G
Overall:
excellent benefit show for Sustainable Resources, Ltd. (a local nonprofit organization devoted to the long-term viability of pre-developing countries with a particular focus on Africa). roster featured all local artists from The Nouns and Marlene O'Connor to Ree Boado with nightcaps by fabulous singer-songwriters Dakota Jeane and Becky Lee. can't wait for the next one!
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the people over at modified arts are always sure to satisfy... they book the bands that you love. you have the opportunity to not only rock out to your favorite bands and get to see them in a cozy and intimate setting, there is always a good chance you can meet and chat with them afterward. hanging out here is like a religious musical experience... trust me, go at least once. you'll meet some really amazing people and have the time of your life!
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