Juárez, Mexico @ Centro Cultural Paso Del Norte – Jul 12th-13th, 2013
El Paso, TX @ Rubin Center for the Visual Arts – Jul 15th-Sept 14th, 2013
Highland Lake, NY @ The North American Cultural Laboratory – 2013
New York City, NY @ Rattlestick Playwrights Theater – Jan 9th-19th + Sept 4th-Oct 5th, 2014
Abu Dhabi, UAE @ New York University Abu Dhabi Arts Center – Mar 7th-10th, 2014
Beirut, Lebanon @ Mansion Arts Center – Mar 14th-15th, 2014
Los Angeles, CA @ Encuentro Festival – Oct 17th, 19th, 24th & 26th, 2014
Los Angeles, CA @ The Los Angeles Theatre Center – Oct 17th, 19th, 24th & 26th, 2014
North Adams, MA @ Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art – Dec 3rd, 2016
New Orleans, LA @ The Contemporary Arts Center – Nov 18th-19th, 2016
San Francisco, CA @ Z Space – Jul 23rd-26th, 2015
Torun, Poland @ Kontakt Festival – May 25th, 2016
Santiago, Chile @ Duoc Universidad Catolica – Aug 12th-13th, 2016
Cairo, Egypt @ The Cairo Opera House – Sept 23rd & 27th, 2016
Dallas, TX @ Southern Methodist University/Ignite Arts – Oct 20th, 22nd & 23rd, 2016
"These are stories of death, but also stories of life." – THE GUARDIAN
"A scrupulously respectful interview-based show" – THE NEW YORK TIMES
As globalization moved forward in this past decade, blurring and yet accentuating national borderlands, one city – Cd. Juárez – emerged in 2008 as the “Murder Capital of the World.” Directly across the Mexican-American border, El Paso,TX has branded itself as the “Safest Large City in America.” Led by Juárez-born-and-raised Founding Artistic Director Rubén Polendo, and drawn by the vortex of questions within and around Cd. Juárez, Theater Mitu’s company members traveled to the region five times in 2012 and 2013, conducting research and interviewing citizens on both sides of the border. “JUÁREZ: A Documentary Mythology,” based on an archive of hundreds of hours of interviews, has emerged as an exploration of this border community’s memories from the past, both recent and distant, and hopes for the future, near and far.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR: Scott SpahrLEAD PROJECTION DESIGN: Adam Cochran & Justin NestorLEAD SOUND DESIGN: Alex HawthornCOMPOSER: Adam CochranLEAD TEXT ARCHITECTURE: Rubén PolendoTEXT ARCHITECTURE, STAGE INSTALLATIONS, ADDITIONAL VIDEO & SOUND: Denis Butkus, Aysan Celik, Adam Cochran, Ryan Conarro, Alex Hawthorn, Michael Littig, Justin Nestor, Scott Spahr, and Jenny WaxmanRESEARCH, INTERVIEWS AND ARCHIVE BY: Julianna Bloodgood, Denis Butkus, Aysan Celik, Adam Cochran, Ryan Conarro, Nathan Elam, Michael Littig, Justin Nestor, Tyler Penfield, Rubén Polendo, Natalia Salmeron, Scott Spahr, Jenny WaxmanTHE ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE STYLE AND APPROACH WAS DEVELOPED WITH AND BY THE FOLLOWING ACTORS FROM A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS IN AND AROUND CIUDAD JUÁREZ, MEXICO, AND EL PASO, TEXAS: Denis Butkus, Aysan Celik, Adam Cochran, Ryan Conarro, Michael Littig, Justin Nestor at Mansion Arts Center (Lebanon), NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Center (UAE), Centro Cultural Paso Del Norte (Mexico), The Rubin Center for the Visual Arts (El Paso), The North American Culture Laboratory, 440 Studios, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (New York City), and Z Space (San Francisco)CREATED BY: Denis Butkus, Aysan Celik, Adam Cochran, Ryan Conarro, Alex Hawthorn, Michael Littig, Justin Nestor, Rubén Polendo, Tyler Penfield, and Scott Spahr
Kayla Asbell, Denis Butkus, Adam Cochran, Justin Nestor, Attilio Rigotti and Corey Sullivan
The MAP Fund
NEFA National Theater Project
New York University
Fundación Grupo Imperial
National Endowment for the Arts’ Art Works
Trust for Mutual Understanding
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
US Department of State
JUÁREZ: A Documentary Mythology
was made possible with funding by the MAP Fund, the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theater Project, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and touring support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
