Guatemala's Artzénico Brings IRSE HACIA EL NORTE to New Orleans Fringe Festival, 11/14-18

Artzénico, a Guatemalan absurdist theater company, is excited to announce Irse Hacia El Norte, a performance based on the companies' experiences traveling a migration route from Guatemala to New Orleans, in the New Orleans Fringe Festival, Nov. 14 -18. The piece, created as the group travels and visits migrant shelters, cultural centers and organizations involved in migrations, will include performers from folkloric dance group "New Orleans Hispanoámerica", and show at the Old Firehouse (718 Mandeville St.) on Thurs., Nov. 15 at 9 pm, Fri. Nov. 16 at 7 pm, Sat. Nov. 17 at 5 pm, and Sun. Nov. 18 at 9 pm. Ticket price: $8 (with $3 Fringe button) available at the door or at www.nofringe.org.

On September 23rd, the members of Guatemalan theater group Artzénico took a bus towards the border town of Tecún Umán. The first stop of many along the migrant route towards the United States.

Passing through important migration points in Mexico, Arizona, California and ultimately, New Orleans, Louisiana they visit migrant shelters, cultural centers and organizations involved in the migration theme. They will be developing the play "Irse", that addresses the migration issue. Through right-here-right-now hyperrealism and abstract migration images the members of Artzénico try to make the audience feel, think and act.

The idea of the project is to spread ideas and knowledge about migration, and connect the phenomenon to the human beings involved. The artists try to bring hope and perspective through workshops to the traveling migrants. At the same time they use their stories, experiences and acting to enrich the play that will be shown to both migrants and local inhabitants of migration zones.

The idea behind the project started in New Orleans in august 2011, when New Orleans' Goat in the Road and Artzénico collectively elaborated the investigation piece "Fronteras". Later in Guatemala, Quetzaltenango's Armadillo joined in. Both Armadillo and GRP are participants in this international traveling theater project.

New Orleans will be the final station of the project, where the results of the trip from Guatemala towards the U.S. will be presented in four final presentations at the New Orleans Fringe festival.

More information about the project, photos, the itinerary, participants, collaborators etc. can be found on goingnorthbound.wordpress.com. For more information about the Fringe Festival check www.nofringe.org.