Juárez: A Documentary Mythology

Once bearing the subtitle “Murder Capital of the World,” the northern Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez is a bustling laboratory of the future –a glimpse into the perfect-storm of economy driven politics, US drug consumption, government corruption, religious fervor, and familial honor all within the landscape of border politics. Drawn by the contradictions, history, and myth within and around this unique landscape, Theater Mitu conducted a series of interviews and investigations over a two-year period to explore the ever-complicated landscape of the US/Mexico border. Led by Theater Mitu’s Artistic Director Rubén Polendo (who was raised in Juárez), the company creates an artistic and emotional map of El Paso/Cd.Juárez, incorporating verbatim transcripts and a deep investment in corporeal authenticity in performance. The work frames Mitu actors as witnesses to memory and myth and as vehicles for transmission of the many stories that create a contemporary map of this incredible polemic border.