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Museo Experimental El Eco

December 30, 2015 Jennifer Saracino
  Photo by Pablo León de la Barra via  Guggenheim.org blog

Photo by Pablo León de la Barra via Guggenheim.org blog

  Photo by Jennifer Saracino

Photo by Jennifer Saracino

  Photo by Jennifer Saracino

Photo by Jennifer Saracino

  Photo via  xalapo.com

Photo via xalapo.com

  Photo by Jennifer Saracino

Photo by Jennifer Saracino

  Photo by Pablo León de la Barra via  Guggenheim.org blog     Photo by Jennifer Saracino    Photo by Jennifer Saracino    Photo via  xalapo.com     Photo by Jennifer Saracino

by Jennifer Saracino

While living and studying in Mexico City last spring, I decided to take a break from my research and went outside for an evening stroll. I headed towards the Jardín del Arte, a peaceful and colorful park nearby in my neighborhood, San Rafael. 

I decided to walk the perimeter of the park, which I had never done before, and stumbled upon the Museo Experimental El Eco. Founded in 2005, the museum presents contemporary art projects by both Mexican and international artists. It comprises part of a group of museums run by UNAM (the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and was designed as an interdisciplinary space where artists are encouraged to present projects that draw from an array of diverse media including film, dance, poetry, and music. I peered past the door held ajar, intrigued by the long dark hallway and a sign that advertised free admission. 

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In PLACES OF INTEREST Tags Museo Experimantal El Eco, Mexico City, Mexico, Art, Museums
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MicroTeatro México

December 10, 2015 Maleeha Sambur
 MicroTeatro México | photo by by Coral Ortiz via  Chale Madame

MicroTeatro México | photo by by Coral Ortiz via Chale Madame

 MicroTeatro México via  Glits

MicroTeatro México via Glits

 Photo by Roberto Rojo

Photo by Roberto Rojo

 MicroTeatro México | photo by by Coral Ortiz via  Chale Madame   MicroTeatro México via  Glits   Photo by Roberto Rojo

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

In CULTURE Tags Mexico City, Mexico, Theater
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