Texas Theatre and Dance Presents LA RUTA by Isaac Gomez

Texas Theatre and Dance will present Isaac Gómez's La Ruta, a heartbreaking story of a border town, a bus route and the women of Ciudad Juárez who are disappearing. Inspired by real testimonies from women affected by the ongoing femicides along the border, La Ruta will be presented virtually October 23-24, 2020 under the direction of Anna Skidis Vargas.

"La Ruta is a celebration of the resilience of Mexican women in the face of unbelievable pain and loss," shares director and current M.F.A. candidate Anna Skidis Vargas. "The dialogue is gripping; the music is gorgeous and the play has a lot of heart." For at least two decades, the women of Juárez, known as "the capital of murdered women," have been disappearing along the bus route to and from the U.S.-owned maquiladoras where they work. Despite the dangers, the promise of opportunity and paid jobs forces them to make the trip along la ruta as they struggle to support their families. The play shifts back and forth through time following the story of two mothers, Yolanda and Marisela, as they fight to uncover the truth about their missing daughters.

"[This piece] will be presented as a livestreamed, digital performance. It has all of the elements you might find in a theatre, but they have been custom fit to be seen in your home," continues Vargas. "The sound design is robust enough that it could be enjoyed as a radio play, but the visual world we are building is so exciting!"

Anna Skidis Vargas is a M.F.A. in Directing candidate who works primarily on musicals, devised theatre and the stories of underrepresented groups. She is the founder of Theatre Nuevo in Saint Louis, where she produced and directed This is Not Funny, Orgullo, Acronyms, Hell and Luchadora!, for which she was nominated for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Production of a Comedy by the Saint Louis Theater Circle. Skidis Vargas has received two Circle Awards for her performances in Lizze, the Musical and Spring Awakening and has been named a "Rising Leader of Color" by Theatre Communications Group (TCG). She holds a B.A. in Performance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. skidisvargas.com

Playwright Isaac Gómez is an award-winning Chicago-based playwright and alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance. Originally from El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, his play La Ruta received its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theater Company in December 2018. His plays have been supported by Steppenwolf Theater Company, Denver Center, Primary Stages, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Goodman Theatre, among others. He is a professional lecturer at The Theatre School at DePaul University and is represented by The Gersh Agency and Circle of Confusion.

La Ruta features a powerful cast, including Deja Criston (Woman of Juárez), Emily Garcia (Yolanda), Vivian Gonzalez (Ivonne), Guinevere Govea (Desamaya), Anapaula Guajardo (Woman of Juárez), Manuela Guerra (Zaide), Kathleen M. Guerrero (Marisela), Cielo Ortiz (Brenda) and Emily Yaneth Perez (Woman of Juárez).

The production team for La Ruta include Lowell Bartholomee (Sound Designer), John Erickson (Projection Designer), Harold Horsley (Costume Designer), Tara A. Houston (Scenic Designer), Jesse J. Sanchez (Composer), Anna Skidis Vargas (Director), Skyler Taten (Stage Manager), Amber Whatley (Lighting Designer), Yasmin Zacaria Mikhaiel (Dramaturg).

For more information about La Ruta, please visit JoinTheDrama.org