‘Wolves’ examines how confinement affects human treatment

Sergio Magaña (1924-1990) was one of Mexico’s most influential and visionary playwrights. His work The Wolf’s Motiveswritten in 1965, was inspired by an event that shook society at the time: a family lived in seclusion for 17 years in the Santa María la Ribera neighborhood.

This story of isolation and absolute control became a metaphor for the power structures and oppressive dynamics that persist in human relationships.

Almost a century after his birth, which falls on September 24, the theater that has borne his name since 1991 will host from tomorrow an innovative adaptation of his stage drama, recognized as the most disturbing, perverse and precursor of documentary theatre.

Under the curatorship of playwright Ángel Hernández, the staging Lobos It offers a renewed and contemporary view of the work, through a multidisciplinary approach that goes beyond traditional theatre.

This project is very important to us because since the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 we have conceived the creation of different proposals that were linked in different ways with creators from Mexico City and other entities.explained in a conference Luis Arturo García, general assistant of the Directorate of the Theater System.

“With this approach, we set out to create original productions that would appeal to diverse audiences: children, young people and adults. Lobos emerges as the culmination of this creative effort, seeking not only to celebrate Magaña’s legacy, but also to reinterpret it through the fresh eyes of young creators.”

Ángel Hernández, together with a team of emerging artists, carried out an artistic residency at the Sergio Magaña Theater itself, which allowed them to delve deeper into the work of the playwright, theater critic, columnist and writer, as well as explore his relevance in the current context.

The play’s director of actors, Darling Lucas, shared details about the creative process: “We did a residency in the theater and did research work from the documentary. Then we began to work from corporality, architecture and space. At that moment, the question arose: what are the family relationships that are historically constructed as a Mexican society?

“Lobos It is not a literal adaptation of The Wolf’s Motivesbut a rereading that emerges from bodily experience and documentary research.”

The creative team is made up of Isabel Narezo Balzaretti, Pavel Nateras, Valentín Bouchot, Frida Alcántara and Amáury Gutiérrez, who use their bodies as the main tool to explore the power relations and dynamics of violence implicit in the original production. Darling Lucas described this approach as the young reinterpretation of a key text.

The set, designed by Aurelio Palomino, evokes a prison-house, where the walls and chairs become metaphors of confinement and control. Lola Barajas was in charge of the sound design, which sets the mood for the plot and immerses the viewer in the anguish and tension experienced by the characters.

The staging not only alludes to a work from the past, but connects it to current issues such as the isolation we are experiencing during the Covid-19 pandemic. I was thinking about confinement and how it resonated at a community level.Luis Arturo García stressed.

“The parallelism between the confinement of the family in The Wolf’s Motives and contemporary experiences of isolation add a layer of relevance and resonance to the work, prompting viewers to reflect on the ways in which confinement affects family and social relationships.”

The work was also enriched by interventions in alternative spaces in the Santa María la Ribera neighborhood, where the creative team has held presentations and activities to encourage participation and dialogue with the themes of the production. Thanks to these experiences, they gathered stories and experiences that nourished the creative process.

In this context, Darling Lucas announced the creation of a website that will function as a digital repository. This platform will bring together the work carried out and will also include a variety of content, such as journalistic notes, video recordings and photographs to allow users to explore in depth the reflections generated during the residency.

“We also took into account other representations of that gruesome case that occurred in 1959, when Rafael Pérez Hernández was arrested, such as the one made by filmmaker Arturo Ripstein in his film The castle of purityor the novel by Luis Spota The cat’s laughter. “All these references served as our music and backbone,” Lucas stressed.

Pavel Nateras, one of the interpreters, pointed out that It is necessary to reread Mexican playwrights; it seems that they have nothing left to say, or at least that is what many think, but that is not the case..

Produced by the Ministry of Culture of Mexico City, Lobos The play will be performed on Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. until September 22 at the Sergio Magaña Theater (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 114, Santa María la Ribera neighborhood, near the San Cosme Metro station). Tickets cost 192 pesos.