Denise Arregui, new host of “Cultural Presence”: “We will take the program more to the streets”

Culture does not rest and one of its Peruvian representatives seems to want to follow suit. We are talking about the actress and television presenter Denise Arreguiwho is currently balancing demanding tasks: being the new host of the program “Cultural Presence” and starring in the revival of the play “Sisters.”

in dialogue with TradeArregui highlighted the great responsibility that comes from succeeding Ernesto Hermoza in leading the iconic program, which has disappeared since 2020. “It is an opportunity to revive a space that for a long time was dedicated to promoting and disseminating art and culture issues, which is something that is greatly missed on open-signal television.”, affirmed the experienced presenter.

However, he stressed that the new program will not be exactly the same as the one we were used to and they will seek to give it a new, more dynamic and attractive audiovisual language. “Under the direction of Ernesto and later under the leadership of Alonso Rabi, ‘Presencia cultural’ was more of a conversation program, with extended interviews“, he pointed. “We are going to change a lot about this format and we are taking it more to the streets with reports, visiting public or creative spaces with the intention of seeing the artist in their area..”

The host pointed out that the north of the program will be to cover artistic and cultural themes that summon all Peruvians. “Clearly if the program is produced in the capital, there will be a great tendency to cover things that happen here. But I think it is an important challenge to try to expand, little by little, to see what also happens in the regions”considered.

Arregui highlighted the importance of programs such as “Cultural Presence” not only as a scholarly space, but as a necessary one for the healthy functioning of humans and society. “I think it is important to understand the emotions behind any form of art, be it some more emotional and others more political, some with clear messages and others more abstract. I like all these combinations because art, even if we don’t fully understand it, still makes us reflect on important issues such as our identity, social problems or even life in general.“, considered. “That is why I think it would do us great to listen to something that has to do with artistic creation on a daily basis, because it opens the spirit in its most generous and positive sensibility.”

Added to this challenge is starring in the play “Sisters”, an acclaimed play that premiered in July 2022 with Lucía Caravedo and which is being revived at the beginning of April at the Cultural Center of the Pontifical Catholic University.

Written and directed by the French playwright Pascal Rambert, the play revolves around two sisters in an estranged relationship who meet again after the death of their mother, unleashing an inevitable discussion where resentment, rancor, hatred and love collide with each other. intense results and, at times, even uncomfortable for the viewer.

For Arregui, the apparently simple premise of the work is elevated by Rambert’s writing, who provides the discussion with edges, themes and underlying aspects that paint details of the lives of its protagonists and invite the reader to follow the trail of the facts. that led to the destruction of the relationship between the protagonists.

This intensity is reflected in the relationship of the artists who interpret it. “Lucia and I have gotten to know each other more than any other scene partnerDenise considered. “The way in which this work is created makes us actresses sensitized to many feminine issues, to sisterly ties, and of course we have delved into one and the other, in the good and in the bad.”

Denise considered that the proposal of the work – and of Pascal’s direction – is highly demanding for its interpreters because it has a lot to do with “how words affect the body”. “For me it became a very physical thing. His writing is like these knives we’re constantly throwing at each other and this level of aggression isn’t pretty to feel.“, he pointed. “However, what saved me and Lucía, and what finally also saves these sisters, is the real and deep love between them, since without it there is nothing. It would just be hate for hate, a lame tantrum.”