Written by: Carmen Samayoa and Edgar Flores
Performed and Produced by: Mayahuel Tecozautla
Directed by: Beatriz Pizano, Artistic Director of Aluna Theatre
Choreographer: Olga Barrios
Music Composer & Sound Artist: Brandon Valdivia
Lighting & Set Designer: Trevor Schwellnus
Costume Design: Andjelia Djuric
Synopsis: IXOK’ is a Maya-Quiché word that means WOMAN. In this solo theatre/dance piece, Mayahuel Tecozautla depicts the story of an indigenous woman who flees to the jungle seeking safety for herself and her child. IXOK’ is based on the testimonies of Guatemalan refugee women who survived the war. The play tackles the military conflict in Guatemala from 1960 to 1996, and specifically talks about the Mayan genocide that occurred between 1978 and 1984 with more than 250,000 victims, of whom over 45,000 are still missing today.
My thoughts: I was not sure what to expect with regards to this piece. I grew up hearing about the killing of thousands of Mayans back when I was child. Once I read the synopsis of the play, it got me curious as to how the story would be told.
It begins with video footage showing a conversation between the American ambassador to Guatemala and the Guatemalan President along with his wife. It is an interesting dialogue about American corporations monopolising the economy and thus, affecting the livelihood of all locals. Tecozautla appears in the midst of the footage and invites us on this journey and to partake in the story. We soon get to know Ixok’ (the main character) and learn about her trials and tribulations quite quickly.
Tecozautla brings the character to life mostly through dance and a wide range of expressions. The dialogue helps guide us through the time line, however, it is the music and dance that propel the story and its poignancy. I quite enjoyed Valdivia’s music arrangements and how Tecozautla engaged with the music. I also quite liked the use of the stage space. It is not a large stage but Barrios’ choreography gives Tecozautla ample range to draw the audience in and want to know more about Ixok’. The perfomance is quite physical. In less than an hour, we had come to know one woman’s story and the tragedy that many of her people had suffered.
In a short discussion with Tecozautla, after her performance, I learned the play has been slightly modified from the original text by Tecozautla and her collective IXOK’ Theatre Collective; made up of Pizano, Valdivia and Barrios. Tecozautla mentioned that she’d asked the playwrights Samayoa and Flores for the rights to use their text; to which they agreed and agreed they take some liberties in adapting it as they saw fit. The story is not original in the sense that we have seen or heard it in one way or another. This story is also not unique to Guatemala and its people, either. However, it has universality. And I personally like how the collective chose to tell it.
The collective began work in June of this year. They felt that changing some of the dialogue to English while still keeping some key parts in Spanish and Maya-Quiché was essential. I think it worked well. Tecozautla shared that she has drawn from her own experiences as a woman and as an immigrant from Mexico in order to portray Ixok’. She hopes the audiences will see the universality in this piece and also relate on some level or another. Tecozautla also wishes to highlight that all choreography and music is original to this production. I think you will enjoy this piece of physical theatre for what it is and draw your own conclusions about Ixok’ — her story and what it represents.
Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace
45min
August 9th at 6pm
August 11th at 10pm
August 14th at 10pm
August 15th at 2pm
For more information and other listings, visit the SummerWorks website.
