Real Journalists Bring the ‘Burned Case’ and Experiences from the Dictatorship to the Stage at Teatro Camilo Henríquez

Original article: Periodistas reales llevan el Caso Quemados y otras vivencias en dictadura al escenario del Teatro Camilo Henríquez

«Two young individuals were burned in Estación Central during a protest,» was the headline broadcast on Radio Chilena on the morning of July 2, 1986. Journalist Orlando Milesi received a phone call reporting that two youths had been attacked and set on fire by a military patrol.

Due to an absence of confirmation, the team reached out to a local priest, who verified the incident. Hours later, Milesi enlisted the help of Dr. Jorge Villegas to urgently care for one of the victims, Carmen Gloria Quintana, saving her life.

This poignant account regarding the notorious Burned Case—where the other victim, Rodrigo Rojas de Negri, tragically did not survive—is a central narrative in Chronicles of Reporters, a production returning to the stage of Teatro Camilo Henríquez on September 10 and 12, as part of the Memory Cycle commemorating the anniversary of the 1973 coup d’état.

Tickets are now available at Ticketplus.cl.

The story is reconstructed through the testimony of Milesi himself, who, along with fellow journalists Carmen Mera and Julio Salviat, will share their professional experiences during the military dictatorship and into the 1990s.

The production recounts various significant moments in Chilean journalism, including the coverage of a flood at the El Cobre reservoir with President Eduardo Frei Montalva, Colo-Colo’s victory over Botafogo in ’73 at Maracanã, and the first classical music concert in Antarctica.

According to director Marcelo Salinas, one major challenge was «to encapsulate almost 50 years of history and journalistic work in a brief 45-minute performance.»

This process involved personal interviews, recordings, and transcriptions of their testimonials. «The fact that they are three journalists rather than professional actors offers an emotional journey that profoundly moves the audience,» Salinas adds.

The result is a reflection on various eras of Chilean journalism: Julio Salviat recalls his initial tasks at La Nación, his time at Estadio magazine, and the technological evolution that transformed the profession; Carmen Mera recounts her experiences at El Diario Ilustrado, La Prensa, Canal 9, and the Orbe agency, along with her later connection to theater; while Orlando Milesi reflects on his time in popular journalism, his work during the dictatorship, and incidents like the coverage of the Burned Case.

Living Memory

In this edition, the Memory Cycle at Teatro Camilo Henríquez emphasizes unconventional formats that present historical memory through real events and archives.

Also showcased in this vein is Scenes of Population in Resistance, directed by Patricia Artés, which opens the cycle’s programming on September 3, 4, and 5, as recently reported by El Ciudadano.

This initiative, carried out by the company Plataforma Escena Crítica y Memoria, is a scenic investigation that revives theatrical expression created within popular circuits during the military dictatorship, formed amidst communal kitchens, barricades, and community organization outside traditional venues.

Both productions employ documentary theater tools and formats akin to performative lectures—real testimonial readings, historical archive projections, and audio recordings—along with music specifically composed to activate sensory memory on stage.

Thus, rather than merely reconstructing the past through fictional characters, these performances recover a memory that has remained dormant, yet is crucial for understanding the present.

In the case of Chronicles of Reporters, it highlights the crisis facing journalism and democracy.

«It is vital to elevate these stories today, in a context where the truth of information is constantly questioned by fake news. Julio, Orlando, and Carmen are living testimonies of how journalism was practiced before the digital era and during pivotal moments in our country’s history, upholding a commitment to truth and human dignity,» emphasizes Salinas.

Details

September 10 and 12
Teatro Camilo Henríquez
Amunátegui 31, Santiago
(Metro La Moneda)
Thursday at 7:30 PM
Saturday at 4:00 PM
Tickets:
Available at the theater box office (one hour before the show) and through Ticketplus.cl
Prices: $5,000 general – $3,000 for students and seniors.