Week 13: Palenque Rojo (4/2/08)

On the night before flying back to the U.S. we went to a theatrical performance named Palenque Rojo. The tagline to the show was “Passion, music, dance and myth”, and the show blended these four elements phenomenally. This focused on the ruler Kan Xul II (aka K'inich K'an Joy Chitam II), who was the son of Pakal the Great and brother of Kan Balam II. He ruled Palenque in the early 8^th Century until being defeated in battle with rival kingdom Toniná (ruled by K'inich B'aaknal Chaak) and imprisoned later. The show depicted his early prominence, battles with rival kingdoms including Toniná, and his defeat and torturous imprisonment. Since they spoke only Mayan during the show, I had to learn this via pamphlet earlier. Additionally, there were actors dressed up as animals representing the time before the construction of Palenque, references to the Hero Twins from Mayan mythology, and two explorers analyzing hieroglyphics at various intervals of the history and myth about Kan Xul II. Musicians outside of and on stage played traditional instruments such as drums and wind instruments throughout the show, and the Mayan costumes were elaborate and almost similar to the fancy Aztec costumes depicted in historical accounts. The use of lights and darkness greatly enhanced the play, making certain situations darker or mysterious. The audience was up close to the action as warriors danced or battled one another and as Kan Xul II faced many beasts in his personal hell in prison. The costumes and props were elaborate, such as a giant skeletal figure held together by actors with strings and poles representing one of the beasts Kan Xul II dealt with during his imprisonment. These features mixed well with the mythology of the story, making the performance fun to watch. Even though this was my only exposure to Mexican theater during the trip, I highly recommend this performance.