2023-05-02 10:00:00
The actor Pedro Enrique González Rojas talks with BOHEMIA regarding his character in the play kilometer zero
For you, what is kilometer zero? A starting point…or arrival point. The conquest of a night that would become too emotional began. Has a play ever made you cry? Me. A character in particular, within the staging of the set Argos Theater, caused a permanent explosion in the eyes and thoughts of the viewers. The actor Pedro Enrique González Rojas, Peter Rojas, dressed as Carlos to show a harrowing experience around male prostitution.
“Carlos is a very difficult character. The first thing I thought when I saw the text: he is very far from me; a person raped by his father, by his brother, he has almost nothing to do with me. Later I realized that everything has to do with it and life is much more complicated, ”explains Peter Rojas regarding his interpretation.
The play Zero Kilometer, with a script and direction by playwright Liliana Lam, was inspired by the book Penguins in Havana, by researcher Julio César González Pagés. “Julio César did all the research, he took us to talk to the guys who are really dedicated to this. Carlos is a before and following in my life”, adds Rojas.
-How was the preparation of the character?
-All the actors did a table job with Julio César, seeing images of the boys and soaking up the subject. Reality surpasses fiction. We went to the places where they work, we talked with them and with the clients many times. At first, I was pretending to be one more penguero, then we said what we were doing. Some were scared, many were understanding and talked to us. Today I have friends who are dedicated to that and they are people I consider super special and unique. Life has led them there for dissimilar reasons.
-Any particular experience at that stage…
-There were many. We were sitting down and the police came to ask us for papers, thinking that we were pengueros, we explained to them and nothing happened. On one occasion a German approached me insistently and I told him: I’m an actor, I can’t go with you. His response was: it doesn’t matter, I’ll pay you and we’ll go. He tried to pressure me and then I discovered that this world is very violent.
-What distinguishes Carlos from the other characters in the play?
-Carlos is the only character in the play who is forced by someone else. Others have made the decision for money or other reasons. He is there blackmailed by his brother, so he is the only one who explodes aggressively. He had a lot of repressed feelings for a long time.
“Without a doubt, she’s the most complex character I’ve ever played because she’s so layered. He is a boy who tries to smile all the time, but he is not really where he wants, he remains totally subdued, unhappy; That is why, when César arrives, he sees him as a light, as someone who can take him out of that world and he tries to hold on to the idea as best he can.
“Unfortunately, to this day, Carlos, the real one, is paralyzed, he had a very young stroke. He is 30 years old, he lives with his mother, his father is free and his brother is free too. He has never wanted to denounce them, in fact, he sent money to his father. I’ve talked to him a couple of times, he talks slow. I would have liked him to get out of that world and study, anything but that ”.
How did the public receive the work?
-Every time we finish the representation, the acceptance has been surprising for us. People really like the work itself, which counts, but they also start to get interested in the subject. It has managed to transcend beyond the artistic fact, to create awareness in the viewer. It is an important achievement and we are very satisfied.
“Carlos is a character with whom it is easy to empathize, to identify to a certain extent. He is very complete, he starts at one point and ends at another. He has a very interesting development and people have liked him a lot, but more important to me is that they leave the theater thinking regarding this topic. I think it is the greatest success of Carlos and Kilómetro Cero”.
–And for you… what is Kilometer Zero?
-A difficult work, which touches on complicated issues that are not usually discussed. That is what makes it special and successful among the recommendations that are spread out loud.
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