I spent 70 minutes last night in el Palacio de la Moneda in Santiago de Chile sharing Salvador Allende‘s final moments on September 11, 1973. Colombian actor Ramiro Sandoval plays the first democratically elected Socialist president of the Americas in the stage production, Allende:The Death of a President now showing at the Theater for the New City in the Lower East Side of New York City. They say that before you die, your entire life flashes before your eyes. Argentino-Americano journalist and current editor of the New York Daily News Spanish language weekly, la Hora Hispana, has wriiten a monologue that imagines what Allende was thinking in the hours leading up to his death including reflections on his life as a political leader, husband, and father.

Under the direction of German A. Jaramillo, the theatricalwork, complete with a back drop of la Moneda and the sounds of planes and artillary fire, Salvador Allende, a hero to many, becomes humanized. More importantly, the audience is drawn in. We became part of the unfolding coup led by Augusto Pinochet and backed by the U.S. government. The performance will especially be appreciated by those who are just learning about Chilean history and hopefully will lead them to learn more about Salvador Allende, what he did and what followed after his death in el Palacio de la Moneda in Santiago de Chile on September 11, 1973.

Allende: The Death of a President can be seen tonight at 8 pm. tommorow at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 3 pm at the Theatre for the New City at 155 First Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets in Manhattan, NYC. Tickets are $15 each. For more information or to buy tickets visit the theatre’s website.