Today’s Vegetarian Elite will be presented in Spanish, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese(Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Nepali, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Thai.

Welcome noble viewers to our program Vegetarian Elite. Today we are pleased to introduce César Meléndez, an accomplished actor and author; and his wife, actress Cristina Bruno, whose works are always reflections on important social and spiritual matters. With their co-founded La Polea Theater, César and Cristina have traveled to perform throughout Central America and the United States, as well as several countries in Latin America and Europe.

The planet is shared with the trees, with plants, with minerals, animals, shared with the air, the rivers. I’ve had enough of all human beings trampling on the rights of the planet which are trampling on our near future. We are going to run out...

César Meléndez’s illustrious career spans film, television, music, and theater. He started professionally with music in the Dominican Republic, singing with icons like Grammy-nominated Wilfrido Vargas. Back in Costa Rica, César was a member of popular bands of the 1980s like Grupo Manantial. He then expanded his artistic repertoire into movies, where he participated in a major Hollywood production. César became one of Costa Rica’s most popular and beloved stars, acting in memorable roles on several television series.

But it seems César’s true calling, however, is in theater. He has demonstrated his talent in theater productions such as “Chronicles of a Death Foretold” by Gabriel García Márquez, and Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s’ House.” In theater, César is recognized not only as an actor, but also as a director and writer of several important works. Among them is the monologue “The Immigrant,” which has won major prizes in Costa Rica and internationally.

Within his busy work schedule, César has always found time to participate in many charitable events and awareness campaigns.

On several occasions, “The Immigrant” served as a fundraising event so that a cherished friend and colleague of the arts could receive a bone marrow transplant. Last year in 2010, he collaborated with Nicaraguan singer Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy in a music outreach project that exhibited the music of Costa Rica and neighboring Nicaragua.

In 2009, he served as moderator for the global event “2 Minutes to Change” in Costa Rica’s Plaza de la Cultura. READ: Organized by the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, it was held simultaneously in 22 countries on February 22nd to call attention to the urgency of climate change and the simple solution of veganism. The event coincided with Supreme Master Ching Hai Day as a tribute to her tireless devotion in bringing peace to the planet for all beings. It was at this event that César and Cristina decided to become fully vegan.

We are vegan thanks to you. Thanks to your participation in the (event in) Plaza de la Democracia, you started to interact with all this.

Yes, in the event that was called “2 Minutes for Change,” right? And prior to that we were working in this direction, but it really is fair to say that this marked a part of this process.

César reminisces on his youth growing up with animals.

There has been a preparation throughout my life due to a cultural reason from my Nicaraguan-born mom, dad, grandmas, to share one’s life along with animals. Always, for as long as I can remember. I was raised among chickens, among piglets, among puppies, among kittens, among little birds, among cows, among donkeys, among earthworms, among ants, among fleas, among everything. I don’t recall not having one moment in my life until this moment away from animals.

Cristina tells us a cute story of how she and César first met, and how their shared affection for animals was important in their courtship.

Three questions he asked me before inviting me out were: “Do you smoke?” I told him, “No, I have never smoked.” “Do you drink alcohol?” “No, I do not drink alcohol, I do not like alcohol.” “Do you like animals?” “Yes I love them,” I said. And then he asked me to go out.

Cristina had actually already been a vegetarian since she was 13 years old.

Actually I became vegetarian I think it was in ‘87 when Pope John Paul II visited Mexico. I was watching the live broadcast on television and a video they had made about the Pope on negative and the positive things until this present moment of humanity, all that had happened in humanity. And there was an image for a split of a moment; however, it changed my life since then. Quite simply, there was a man sitting with a calf at his side. The man just grabbed the calf’s neck and cut him “slash” with a knife, and the calf kicked around and fell down. That 30 second image convinced me that I had to stop eating meat.

For César, spiritual beliefs helped him to expand his heart and understanding to better embrace his love for animals.

In my story, since I was very young I had been informed, because my Nicaraguan grandfather who traveled to Costa Rica always had some inclination to study mysticism within the Rosicrucian movement at some point. As I had access to that information, I started studying Rosicrucianism, and one of the most interesting arguments that I liked and that opened the universe for my whole life, was the chance to study other cultures, other religions, and to be able to understand that the source is one, and beyond the source one can find the Truth by following a specific path. When I got close to Eastern teachings, I discovered a love for animals, let’s say the state of consciousness for the animals.

Cristina and César’s relationship blossomed through their common beliefs, ideals, and affinity. With one another’s mutual support, they decided to become vegan together.

Between the two of us, gradually we gave up meat completely. Because it’s been about 5 years? ( Like 5 years.) Five years ago that we became fully vegetarian.

It wasn’t that hard. There was just an agreement in our thinking, together of course with an inside study of the soul, of the development of the consciousness, to seek, to find inner communication with our inner being, doing the proper meditation to achieve the daily amount wisdom in accord to every moment of our life, until we arrived at this point. At this point in our life, through determination, we became vegan for the sake of our state of consciousness.

As a young boy, César’s parents fled Nicaragua to seek asylum for the family in Costa Rica. Through humble jobs and great sacrifice, they managed an honest living and were able to send him college. César exhibited promising artistic skills early on. Together, César and Cristina founded La Polea Theater Company in 1999 to explore human relationships in modern society and translate their findings into a theatrical language for presentations. The primary purpose is to raise funds for works relating to social welfare and for communities that have little or no access to art and cultural events.

Well, we’ve been all over America. We have presented, rotated our shows all around Central America, South America, North America; in Europe we have been in Spain, the Netherlands, France.

With Cristina as an actress and producer of their theater company La Polea, they travel to convey messages of love, compassion, and tolerance for all beings in their performances.

We are La Polea Theater.

We are La Polea Theater, yes, indeed. All this has been a process, which is really an excuse for us to be together. Prior to what is now known as La Polea Theater, Cristina was an independent actress and elementary school teacher, and I was also an independent theater actor, developing artistic and musical work. It’s a full project aiming to give art, to share art and culture in communities, especially in those where there is none, not much access or limited access or no access to allow (That the theater can access.) this possibility.

La Polea Theater presents a range of shows and creative supporting materials that foster a culture of peace within a framework of respect for the human condition, gender equality, ethnicity, religion, and belief. César’s major work “The Immigrant” touches on immigration and appreciating the diversity of cultures. In “Margarita’s Party,” he addresses the issue of climate change and the importance of respecting animals. And for “Flora,” the main focus is having a higher regard for women.

Our role as a theater group was considered from the beginning.

(Always, we always work for others.) Yes, always following an exercise in social, human, and animal responsibility. All of our projects are directed to raise funds for social good works for human or animal welfare. We have a project that we considered calling: “Exercise of social transformation.” What we try to do from our humble viewpoint is to enable self-management in each community that we visit.

As previously mentioned, César has been internationally recognized for his role in the monologue “The Immigrant,” or “El Nica,” which reflects on the life of an immigrant in Costa Rica. The issues presented, however, also occur in many other parts of the world.

There was a persisting problem for many years between Costa Rica and Nicaragua at the border, for example. Or at the cultural level, there is an encounter between cultures, there is an exercise of political and historical inclination that allowed many immigrants to come to Costa Rica from Nicaragua, etc. We understood that there was a responsibility to speak, Since I am from Nicaragua.

(And I’m also a foreigner.) Regarding the issues surrounding the environment, diet, respect for all living things, we also try to generate the same share of respect, having in mind those people in front of us who eat meat.

This charismatic actor who can fill theaters wherever he goes, offered a message to consider:

We are a part of the planet; and we are a micro-part that works in the big machinery supporting a planet that is alive. And each of us is a reason that generates life within this planet, and if there’s anything, if something is not working as it should, then the planet begins to react as it is reacting [now].

We invite you back April 16 for the second part of our interview with the charming couple, César Meléndez and Cristina Bruno. We will be treated to some of their special performances, and learn more about their inspiring stories on saving the world through theater and veganism.

For more information about César Meléndez, Cristina Bruno, and La Polea Theater Please visit: www.TeatroLaPolea.com or email: teatrolapolea@gmail.com

Cheerful viewers, thanks for joining us today on Vegetarian Elite Coming up now is Between Master and Disciples, here on Supreme Master Television. May love and laughter decorate your blessed paths in life. .