MicroTeatro México

by Jennifer Saracino

One night soon after I had moved to Mexico City, my friends announced that they had a surprise for me. They took me down a little alley in Santa Maria la Ribera, and we stopped just outside a nondescript building with a sign that read 'Microteatro.' In the Microteatro, you can watch a 'Micro Obra' (mini play) that's just 15 minutes long with 15 audience members. 

For our first show, we entered a tiny room with a bed that took up most of the space. Suddenly, an actor beside me started speaking to another woman in the room. She played a prostitute, eager to begin, but he, instead, began to recount a past memory. He spoke softly, gazing down at the floor, but then looked up . . . directly at me! 

The actor moved towards me and grabbed my hand. I looked at my friends in panic. He motioned for me to lie down in the bed. I prayed that I wouldn't have to speak - fortunately, I didn't. I was more of a prop, and the actor recounted the memories of his mother's funeral, while looking down at me, clasping my hand. 

I was mesmerized by the Microteatro. The owners fully optimized the entire building, making every room an intimate stage. The proximity to the actors themselves gave each of us a voyeuristic feeling - like we were privy to a conversation we shouldn't be hearing. 

The lobby of the Microteatro was filled with contemporary art and the laughter and lively discussions of its visitors. The first floor boasted a bar and antojitos, or little snacks, for purchase. 

If you're interested in experimental, accessible theater, I highly recommend the Microteatro even if you're not fluent in Spanish. The shows are short and direct, so they are easier to understand than a longer production. I'm not completely fluent, and I burst into quiet tears after one particularly poignant play.  But be warned: you might just get pulled onstage. 

MicroTeatro México
Roble 3
Santa María la Ribera, Cuauhtemoc, 06400
http://www.microteatro.mx

An earlier version of this post appeared on my blog, Something to Write Home About

Coqui Coqui | Valladolid, Mexico

by Maleeha Sambur

Though all four of the Coqui Coqui boutique hotels are stunning, it's the Valladolid location that tops my list of dream accommodations. Centrally situated on the oldest street in town, the one-room hotel's beautifully appointed guest house is located directly above the Coqui Coqui perfumery and comes outfitted with a private terrace, stone plunge pool, and freestanding tub. In addition to the perfumeria, where you can stock up on the popular fragrances or play at concocting your own, the property also features a restaurant, an open air spa, and a library. 

If you've got a trip to the Yucatan planned, Valladolid is well worth a detour, and a nice escape from more scene-y Tulum, offering quiet, picturesque streets dotted with colorful facades, delicious authentic cuisine, and proximity to ancient ruins and glittering turquoise cenotes. 

Casa Wabi

by Maleeha Sambur

Ever since I read about Fundación Casa Wabi in this 2014 WSJ story, my heart has been set on visiting. The stunning arts center situated along Mexico's Pacific Coast, not far from Puerto Escondido, is the result of the combined efforts of a formidable team of talent: Conceived by artist Bosco Sodi and designed by Tadao Ando, its 66 tropical acres also feature a contemporary art collection within a botanical garden designed by Alberto Kalach, and Patricia Martin serves as Director.

The foundation functions as both an artists residence and a haven for members of the neighboring communities, and Sodi has launched an arts education program with the aim of connecting resident-artists with locals - particularly children and young adults - through collaborative, socially and environmentally beneficial projects. 

The structures (a mix of residences, studios, and mixed-use spaces) meld modernist design elements with natural materials and native techniques. The buildings are a beautifully complementary hybrid of Ando's signature concrete walls with the traditional palapa-style thatched roofs that are common throughout the region, and open-sided rooms allow indoor and outdoor spaces to blend seamlessly. The convergence of art, architecture, and nature in this particular setting - between the rough surf of a windswept beach and the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains - makes for an otherworldly and truly unique atmosphere.

Photos by Nicholas Alan Cope for WSJ

Hueso | Guadalajara, Mexico

by Maleeha Sambur

Mexico-based architect and designer Ignacio Cadena and his firm, Cadena + Associates, built Hueso, a restaurant in Guadalajara's Lafayette design district, for his brother, chef Alfonso Cadena. It's aptly named, given that thousands of cast aluminum animal bones line the walls. The theme is echoed in the bone-white painted brick of the interior, as well as the gorgeously tiled exterior. While it sounds a bit morbid, the result is actually a wonderfully light, airy, awe-inspiring dining space. More images here and here, and interview with Ignacio Cadena here.

Photos by Jaime Navarro