Oscar Castro Ramírez, (13 May 1947 – 25 April 2021), was a Chilean playwright, actor and director of the Aleph Theater.

Life

Óscar Castro founded the Aleph Theatre in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

in 1968 with fellow students. Self-taught and politically active, the

Aleph Aleph (or alef or alif, transliterated ʾ) is the first Letter (alphabet), letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician alphabet, Phoenician ''ʾālep'' 𐤀, Hebrew alphabet, Hebrew ''ʾālef'' , Aramaic alphabet, Aramaic ''ʾālap'' � ...

wrote and staged a series of musical plays and produced

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

programmes for Chilean television. On tour in France at the time of the coup d’état in September 1973, the company presented La Trinchera del Supertricio (an allegory of the

military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

) in October 1974. As a result, several actors of the troupe were arrested, interrogated and tortured: two disappeared under interrogation and two others (Óscar Castro and his sister Marieta) were interned in

concentration camps A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploit ...

for two years. During his internment, Óscar created a new play each week for the «Viernes culturales» for his fellow inmates. On his release in 1976, Óscar was

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

d and sought asylum in France.
Since 1976, Óscar lived in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

where he continued to create plays and write novels. The Aleph Theatre company, which he directed, is based in the Parisian suburb of Ivry sur Seine, where they have their own theatre space. Over the years, the Aleph Theatre company has become a myth and a reference for Latin-American theatre and Erase una vez un rey Once upon a time there was a king, written in 1971, has become today one of the most frequently performed plays throughout Central and

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

. He died from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

on 25 April 2021 at the age of 73 in

, France.

Drama

Some dates

Óscar Castro has written, directed and performed in more than 30 Aleph creations, touring in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and North, Central and Latin America. * 1982 Nominated member of the French

PEN Club PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internati ...

. * 1983 Received the prize of the Best Script and Best Stage Direction for "La Nuit Suspendue" at Rencontres

Charles Dullin Charles Dullin (; 8 May 1885 – 11 December 1949) was a French actor, theater manager and director. Career Dullin began his career as an actor in melodrama:185 In 1908, he started his first troupe with Saturnin Fabre, the ''Théâtre de Foire, ...

Villejuif Villejuif () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Name The earliest reference to Villejuif appears in a bill signed by the Pope Callixtus II on 27 November 1119. It refers to Villa J ...

(

). * 1988 “On s’est tant aimé à Santiago”: documentary directed by Frédéric Laffont et

Pierre Barouh Pierre Barouh (born Élie Pierre Barouh; 19 February 1934 – 28 December 2016) was a French writer-composer-singer best known for his work on Claude Lelouch's film ''A Man and a Woman'' as an actor and the lyricist/singer for Francis Lai's music ...

about Óscar Castro's life and career, produced for

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

television ( Résistances,

Antenne 2 France 2 () is a French free-to-air public television channel. The flagship channel of France Télévisions, it broadcasts generalist programming including news, entertainment (such as dramas, films, and game shows), factual programmes, and sp ...

). * 1990 created the Théâtre des Gens et des Métiers (T.G.M). First festival in the Bataclan (

). * 1992 Nominated

Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...

distinction awarded by Jack Lang,

ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: * Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) * Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) * Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)Ministry o ...

French President The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is the supreme magistracy of the country, the pos ...

François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...

. * 1995 Creation of the Theatre Aleph in Ivry sur Seine: a theatrical space for creation, training and performance. Creation of his school - LATINACTOR. * 2013 Óscar Castro creates Teatro Aleph in Santiago with young Chilean actors. * 2017 Nominated Comendador del orden al mérito docente y cultura Gabriela Mistral distinction awarded by ministry of education of Chile. * 2018 Nominated

Chevalier de la légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

distinction awarded by

Françoise Nyssen Françoise Nyssen (; born 9 June 1951) is a French- Belgian publisher and politician and a former director of the Actes Sud publishing house. From 2017 until 2018, she served as Minister of Culture of France in the government of Prime Minister ...

Some peoples

Óscar Castro was surrounded by key figures with whom he collaborated: *

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...

, organized Aleph tour of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

(1981). *

Robert Doisneau Robert Doisneau (; 14 April 1912 – 1 April 1994) was a French photographer. From the 1930s, he photographed the streets of Paris. He was a champion of humanist photography and, with Henri Cartier-Bresson, a pioneer of photojournalism. D ...

, President of the Aleph Theatre (1990–1994). *

, co-author and actor (1985–1991). *

Pierre Richard Pierre Richard (born Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays; 16 August 1934) is a France, French actor, film director and screenwriter, best known for the roles of a clumsy daydreamer in comedy films. Richard is considered by some, such a ...

, actor in the company (1996). * Adel Hakim, director of T.Q.I.(C.D.N. d’Ivry-sur-Seine). Oscar Castro has written two plays directed by Adel Hakim and co-produced with Théâtre des Quartiers d’Ivry (TQI): "Le 11 septembre de

Salvador Allende Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 1970 until Death of Salvador Allende, his death in 1973 Chilean coup d'état, 1973. As a ...

" (2003), and "La nébuleuse vie de José Miranda" (2009). * 2007 Collaboration with WWF

for the creation and performance of the play "Hasta la vida siempre", a burlesque and poetic comedy on ecology and sustainable development. * 2010 In partnership with the Foundation

France Libertés France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

(

Danielle Mitterrand Danielle Émilienne Isabelle Mitterrand (née Gouze; 29 October 1924 – 22 November 2011) was the wife of French President François Mitterrand, and president of the . Life Danielle Émilienne Isabelle Gouze was born on 29 October 1924 in Ver ...

) and the Water Carriers Movement, Óscar Castro writes and directs "Les porteurs d’eau" with his teenage drama class and publishes an illustrated children's story on the importance of water for the future of humanity. This play is performed in schools as part of the campaign to protect water. * 2010–2011, Óscar Castro organises theatrical conferences at the Aleph (Ivry) to which he invites famous personalities defending

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

and

ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...

such as

Alain Touraine Alain Touraine (; 3 August 1925 – 9 June 2023) was a French sociologist. He was research director at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, where he founded the Centre d'étude des mouvements sociaux. Touraine was an important ...

, Serge Orru, Carmen Castillo,

Gilles Clément Gilles Clément (; born at Argenton-sur-Creuse, Indre, France in 1943), is a French gardener, garden designer, botanist, entomologist and writer. He is the author of several concepts in the framework of landscaping of the end of the twentieth ce ...

. * 2011–2012–2013, Óscar Castro organises theatrical conferences at the Aleph (Ivry) with the TESPO (Experimental theater of Sciences Po students, to which he invites professors of

Sciences Po Paris Sciences Po () or Sciences Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies (), is a public research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of ''grande école'' and the legal status of . The university's unde ...

such as Max-Jean Zins, Delphine Grouès, Dominique Boullier. * 2011–2012, Óscar Castro organises theatrical conferences at the Aleph (Ivry) to which he invites professor of Philosophy Emmanuel Brassat. * 2012- 2014, In the context of an educational project named FORCAST led by Dominique Boullier in

SCIENCES PO Sciences Po () or Sciences Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies (), is a public research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of ''grande école'' and the legal status of . The university's unde ...

and 12 educational partners, he joined as a pedagogical and artistic contributor in the numeric book course taught by Pierre Mounier. And Hector Noguera,

Noël Mamère Noël Mamère (; born 25 December 1948) is a French journalist and former politician. He was the mayor of Bègles in Gironde from 1989 to 2017, as well as deputy to the French National Assembly for Gironde's 3rd constituency from 1997 to 201 ...

Claude Lelouch Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1960s. Lelouch gained critical ...

Jacques Higelin Jacques Joseph Victor Higelin (; 18 October 1940 – 6 April 2018) was a French pop singer who rose to prominence in the early 1970s. Early life Higelin was born on 18 October 1940. His father, Paul, a railway worker and musician of Alsatian de ...

Thomas Gilou This is a list of comedy films released in the 2000s. 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 *''17 Again (film), 17 Again'' *''18-Year-Old Virgin'' *''(500) Days of Summer'' *''Aadhavan'' *''Adopted (film), Adopted ...

, Luis Sepúlveda, Antonio Skármeta,

Ariel Dorfman Vladimiro Ariel Dorfman (born May 6, 1942) is an Argentine-Chilean- American novelist, playwright, essayist, academic and human rights activist. A citizen of the United States since 2004, he has been a professor of literature and Latin American s ...

, Frédéric Laffont.

Publications

* ''La verdadera historia del Kabaret de la Última Esperanza'' (1997)

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

: LOM, as a novel of the play "Le Kabaret de la Dernière Chance". * ''La véritable histoire du Kabaret de la Dernière Chance'' (1999) -

Novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

: Éditions de l’Amandier. * ''La plume du corbeau'' (2003)

: Éditions de l’Amandier. A collection of four plays written by Oscar Castro : L’Exilé Mateluna, Il était une fois un roi, Le Che que j’aime, Meutre à

Valparaíso Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...

. * Trilogie théâtrale : ''Le 11 septembre de

'', ''

Pablo Neruda Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...

, ainsi la poésie n’aura pas chanté en vain'', ''Le Che que j’aime''. (2004)

: Éditions de l’Amandier. Three plays on three significant

Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...

figures of the 20th century. * ''Hasta la vida siempre'' (2008)

: Éditions de l’Amandier. Text published in Spanish and French. * ''Les porteurs d’eau'' (2011)

: Éditions de l’Amandier. An illustrated children's story (illustration : Marie-Hélène O'Neill), published with the support of Foundation

and the Mouvement des Porteus d’eau. Preface by

and postface by

. * ''Après l'oubli le souvenir'' (2011) - Novel -

: Éditions de l’Amandier

Cinema

* ''

Nowhere Nowhere may refer to: Music * ''Nowhere'' (album), an album by Ride * '' Nowhere: Music from the Gregg Araki Movie'', a soundtrack album from the 1997 film (see below) * "Nowhere" (song), a song by Therapy? * "Nowhere", a song by 112 from '' ...

'', by Luis Sepúlveda (2002) * '' Fleur de canelle'', by Frédéric Laffont (2000) * ''

Chili con carne Chili con carne ( ), often shortened to chili, is a spicy stew of Mexican origin containing chili peppers (sometimes in the form of chili powder), meat (usually beef), tomatoes, and often pinto beans or kidney beans. Other seasonings may includ ...

'', by

(1999) * '' Droit dans le mur'', by

(1997) * '' La cavale des fous'', by Marco Pico (1995) * ''

On peut toujours rêver On, on, or ON may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews * ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin * ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995 * ''On'' (Gary Glitter album), 2001 * ''On'' (Imperial Teen album), 200 ...

'', by

(1993) * '' Il y a des jours et des lunes'', by

(1990) * '' On s’est tant aimé à Santiago'', by Frédéric Laffont (1988) * ', by Antonio Skármeta (1983), Prix du Jury,

Biarritz Film Festival The Biarritz Festival Latin America () is an international film festival held annually in the French city of Biarritz since 1979. Awards * HUG for Best Feature * Jury Award for Best Feature * Best Actress * Best Actor * Feature Film Audience ...

(1984)

Plays

* 2019 • ''La démocratie de la peur'' (play - Ivry France) * 2018 • ''Au menu, amours de saison'' (play - Ivry France) * 2017 • ''Le bal des poètes'' (play - Ivry France) * 2016 • ''L'indien qui marche sur la mer'' (play - Ivry France) * 2015 • ''La brume'' (play - Ivry France, Kolkata in India) * 2014 • Adaptation and direction "''Le mystère de la chambre jaune''", play from

Gaston Leroux Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (; 6 May 186815 April 1927) was a French journalist and author of detective fiction. In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (, 1909), which has been made int ...

* 2013 • ''Mamie Chili'' (play - Ivry France) * 2013 • Adaptation and direction "''Fragments d'un discours numérique''", play from Dominique Boullier * 2012 • ''Sube sube la espumita'' (play: France,Chile) * 2011 • ''OTNI'' – Objet théâtral non identifié (play - Ivry France) * 2010 • ''Les Porteurs d’eau'' (play - Ivry, Corbarieu Festival France) * 2009 • ''La Nébuleuse vie de José Miranda'' (play – Ivry France) * 2008 • ''Le Bazar hindou'' (play - Ivry France) * 2007 • ''Hasta la vida siempre !'' (play - France, Belgium, Chile) * 2005 • ''La Plume du corbeau'' (monologue - France, Chile) * 2004 • ''

, ainsi la poésie n’aura pas chanté en vain'' (play - France, Belgium, Chile) * 2003 • ''Le 11 septembre de

'' (play - France, Belgium, Chile) * 2001 • ''Comme si de rien n’était'' (play - France, Chili) * 2000 • ''Le Criminel revient toujours sur le lieu du crime'' (play - France) * 1998 • ''Le Che que j’aime'' (play - France) * 1996 • ''Meurtre à Valparaíso'' (play - France, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, Chile) * 1995 • ''Le mambo de Monsieur Paul'' (play – France, Germany) * 1994 • ''Le Club des Boléros'' (play - France, Chile) * 1993 • ''Réellement chaud'' (play - France, Chile) * 1992 • '' Christophe Colomb Superstar'' (play - France) * 1991 • ''Malenke'' (play - France, Chile) * 1989 • ''La Tralalaviata'' (play - France) * 1987 • ''La Maison accepte l’échec'' (play - France, Chile) * 1986 • ''Le Kabaret de la Dernière Chance'' (play - France, Chile, Japan) * 1985 • ''Sauve qui peut l’amour Latin arrive'' (play - France) * 1984 • ''Talca, Paris et Broadway'' (play - France) * 1983 • ''Il était une fois un roi'' (play - France, Chile) * 1982 • ''La Nuit Suspendue'' (prix du meilleur texte et de la meilleure mise en scène, Rencontres

de Villejuif, France) * 1980 • ''L’Incroyable et Triste Histoire du Général Peñalosa et de l’Exilé Mateluna'' (play -

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Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, UK, the

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New York Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare in the Park (or Free Shakespeare in the Park) is a theatrical program that stages productions of Shakespearean plays at the Delacorte Theater, an open-air theater in New York City's Central Park. The theater and the productions are ...

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) * 1976 • ''La Guerra'' (play - Chile) * 1975 • ''Sálvense quien pueda'', Casimiro Peñafleta Preso Político (monologue - Chile) * 1974 • ''La Trinchera del Supertricio'' (play - Chile) * 1972 • ''Vida, Pasión y Muerte de Casimiro Peñafleta'' (monologue - Chile, France) * 1971 • ''Erase una vez un rey'' *(play - Chile, France, Belgium) - French title: - ''Il était une fois un roi'' - ''Et la démocratie bordel !'' - One of the most popular plays performed in Central and Latin America.Erase una vez un rey in the world
/ref> * 1970 • Viva in mundo de Fanta Cia (play - Chile) * 1968 • ''Se sirve usted un cocktel molotov'' (play - Chile)

References

External links

Aleph theater sitethe videosthe videos"éditions de l'amandier" Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro Ramirez, Oscar 20th-century Chilean male actors 1947 births 2021 deaths Chilean male stage actors Male actors from Santiago, Chile Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in France 20th-century Chilean male writers 20th-century Chilean dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Chilean male writers 21st-century Chilean dramatists and playwrights Chilean male dramatists and playwrights