Redpoppy Events

Red Poppy's 2004 Festival Neruda SF

For the celebration of what would have been Neruda's 100th birthday, Red Poppy produced a festival, intended for a week but extended for two, which has become part of the lore of San Francisco's tremendous literary history. The opening night crowd overflowed Theater Artaud, we had to set up pa's to pipe out the audio to those crowded in the lobby, unable to get in, emotionally just like they had to at the 92nd St Y in NYC for Neruda's first US reading in 1966. Starting with a spirited, emotional reading by poet's such as the legendary beat capitán Lawrence Ferlinghetti, former US Poet Laureate Robert Hass, SF Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman, and Mark Eisner, we followed with the first showing of the rough cut of the first version, finished that same day. Birthday cake and celebration followed; the San Francisco Chronicle called it "a perfect birthday party."

Two weeks of art, dance, children reading their own translations of Neruda, politics and poetry panels, music and more followed.

Some highlights are listed below and a video clip will soon be posted here... stay tuned!

All week long : de flor o sangre art exhibit A multidisciplinary art show, featuring painting, sculpture, installation, and performances by twenty-two well-known artists from Latin America, Europe, and the United States. Work by Roberto Matta*, Rene Yañez, Tom Fowler, resident Red Poppy artist Todd Brown and many others!
Screenings Wed. July 20th - Sat. 24th at 7:30 pm $15 Matinees Saturday and Sunday at 3:30pm $7 ¡PABLO NERUDA! ¡PRESENTE!
Performances: thurs. - sat. 9:30pm $15 (Film & Performance: $20)
thur, 22, 9:30pm:	Neruda's Love & War: Poetry, Jazz, & Dance. Featuring the Marcus Shelby Trio. New prices: $15 movie, $15 performance, $20 for both Presenting an original work showcasing an interdisciplinary collaboration of jazz, poetry, and modern dance as a re-interpretion of Neruda's text. Jazz: MARCUS SHELBY TRIO Spoken Palabra (excerpts from Neruda's text): Peter Macon & Paula Tejeda Rieloff Choreography: Veronica Irene & Jacinta Vlach Dance: Kalliope Kalombratsos, Aja Randall, Juan Carlos de la Rosa, Laura Sadai, Laura Serghiou, and Jacinta Vlach Lighting Design: Delphine de St. Paer Suter & Joseph Mullen Costume Design: Sasha Rieker
fri, 23, 9:30pm:	Tango Protesta: “El Indio” from Argentina New prices: $15 movie, $15 performance, $20 for both
sat, 24, 9:30pm:	Quijeremá a new latin american ensemble play from the film soundtrack; tinta verde New prices: $15 movie, $15 performance, $20 for both
fri, 23, 8:30 pm 9:30 pm	TANGO FOR DON PABLO Tango Protesta is a Buenos Aires-based dance theater collective that utilizes popular culture (tango) to explore and address political and social issues. Festival Neruda is proud to have Pedro "El Indio" Benavente, Tango Protesta founder, here collaborating with local dancers and actors to present this night's performance. What better tribute to Neruda than to present the joining of political intent with artistic expression. Featuring: Pedro "El Indio" Benavente, Adrian Arias, Todd Brown, Fernando Esterillas, Nadja Haas, Kalliope Kalombratsos, Daniel Montessano, Juan de la Rosa, Xochitl Sami, & Niloufar Talebi. This night's dance theater performance is formed from an interplay of images and scenarios juxtaposing fragments of Neruda's work against the diverse realities that compose today's modern society. The performance occurs outside the stage setting, engaging the actual space; the architectural reality of the canning factory that we now know as Artaud Theater. It is fragmented and abstract, guerilla theater that emerged from a week of collaborative workshops. We leave you to your own interpretations. Milonga: Tango dance party
sat, 23, 9:30 pm	tinta verde Performed by Quijeremá, latin american music ensemble tinta verde / green ink soundtrack of the documentary ¡PABLO NERUDA! ¡PRESENTE! Quique Cruz (Claudio Durán Pardo) has composed an exceptional score for the movie with his new dynamic Latin Americana group Quijeremá. It draws from the musical roots of the Americas, incorporating jazz ideals with South American instruments and rhythms. The album is named "Tinta Verde," after the green ink in which Neruda wrote his poems.