Rolando Rivas, taxista

In 1972, the author and librettist Alberto Migré created the tele-theater production “Rolando Rivas, taxista,” a milestone for this genre of dramatic arts. Starring Claudio García Satur (Rolando Rivas) and Soledad Silveyra (Mónica Helguera Paz), the soap opera aired on Channel 13 and literally paralyzed the country every Tuesday night at 10pm. Without separating himself from the norms and rules of this kind of television – Rolando was a young taxi driver in the neighborhood and Mónica the sole heir of a wealthy family – Migré was able to astutely incorporate elements inherent to the Buenos Aires and tango culture into a setting that paralleled the political and social context of the time. In the course of the plot, Mónica Helguera Paz’ austere father, played by Luis Politti, is assassinated by the brother of the protagonist, a member of the guerilla movement, who also dies in the shooting. In addition to those already mentioned, the cast included Guillermo Rico, Dorys del Valle, Leonor Benedetto, Antuco Telesca, Beba Bidart, María Elena Sagrera, Lalo Hartich and Pablo Codevila, among others. The series continued to air during 1973, a year longer than expected, due to its enormous success, although Soledad Silveyra left the show after the first season. Nora Cárpena took Silveyra’s place and Santiago Gómez, Eva Dongé and Marcelo Marcote also joined the cast during the second season.