Alejandro Sieveking

Sieveking was born in the Chilean city of Rengo (in the O'Higgins Region) on 5 September 1934. He performed as an actor on theatrical productions by Instituto del Teatro (Chile’s Theatre Institute), Teatro de la Universidad Católica (the Catholic University Theatre), Teatro del Ángel (Angel Theatre Company) and Teatro Itinerante (Itinerant Theatre). He worked together with Víctor Jara on a number of theatrical and musical projects, including in his album: “La Población” – in which he co-wrote the song “Herminda de la Victoria” with Jara.[1]

He was one of the founders of the Teatro del Ángel (Angel Theatre Company) in Chile and in Costa Rica, where he settled and worked as a political exile. In 1974 he was awarded the "Casa de Las Américas" prize for his Pequeños animales abatidos (Small game hunt). In 2017 he received Chile's National Prize for Performing and Audiovisual Arts.[2]

In the work of Sieveking one not only finds critical realism but also psychological and folkloric realism.[3] “La remolienda” is one of the most important classics of Chilean theatrical comedy.

In addition to holding university posts and being involved in television projects, he was vice-president of the Academia Chilena de Bellas Artes. (Chilean Academy of Fine Arts)

He married actress Bélgica Castro in 1961. He died on 5 March 2020, and his wife the day after, on 6 March 2020.

His most important theatrical works are:

• "Mi hermano Cristián" [1957]
• "La madre de los conejos" [1959]
• "Parecido a la felicidad" [1959]
• "Ánimas de día claro" [1962]
• "La remolienda" [1965] (the brothel)
• "Tres tristes tigres" [1967]
• "Todo se irá, se fue, se va al diablo" [1968]
• "La mantis religiosa" (The praying mantis) [1970]
• "Manuel Leonidas Donaire y las cinco mujeres que lloraban por él" (Manuel Leonidas Donaire and the five women who cried for him” [1971]
• "Cama de batalla" [1973]
• "La virgen de la manita cerrada" [1974]
• "Ingenuas palomas" [1989]