As the construction project is being stalled again, maybe it’s time to introduce the people behind the Earthship theater of Mazunte.
Itínera is the name of the small, international theater company that is planning to build the world’s first fully self-sustaining theater in Mazunte. The group was founded by Julia Filippo from Italy and Manuel Ramos from Colombia nine years ago. At first they went by a different name, but eventually agreed on a moniker that illustrates the itinerant nature of its artists. Fittingly, they have been participating in various shows throughout the world, including Sri Lanka, Korea, and Siberia, and all over Latin America, either together, or in collaboration with other theaters.
From the Center to the Outer Circle
Among the core members is also Julia’s partner, Stephane Ferreira from France. Stef is a man with many talents, ranging from natural building to mechanics, and he is also a skilled accordion player. I met Stef at the Earthship Academy we attended together in Taos, NM in 2014. Another of our classmates was Valeria Galuzzi, an architect from Italy, who ended up being the official architect of the theater. Not lastly, having visited and worked several times with these lovely people on their project in Mazunte, I am also among the associates of Itínera, doing anything from pounding tires to proof-reading translations, and doing whatever else I can help out with. The photo below shows the four of us from left to right: Julia, Manuel, Stephane, and Yours Truly.
Movements, Recycling, and Community
In their work Itínera likes to adopt different approaches to the concept of theater, such as involving the audience in the show interactively, and relying heavily on movements and dance in what’s known as physical theater. They also include many ecologically focused themes, such as making and using marionettes out of recycled PET bottles. At the moment, their objective is to organize a show for the local children of Mazunte, which is supposed to be also by, and possibly of the kids as well. The central topic this time is memories of old times, but they have a huge repertoire of other ideas to explore in the future. Though the time-frame is flexible, they are planing to have the show ready within a few weeks. We are all waiting excitedly.
A Place to Call Home
Unlike most theaters who named themselves after their location, Itínera’s name sought to embrace the whole world. Nevertheless, it is important to have a home base, and feeling truly global gave them the chance to look wide and far in all the corners of the world for the best location they would call home. Eventually they brought the spinning wheel of fortune to a halt in Mazunte. Not a bad place at all: it has a lovely ocean shore, plenty of gorgeous nature surrounding it, delicious Mexican and international food, plenty of visitors from around the world, though still far from being overrun by mass tourism. More importantly, land was not too expensive, and regulations are lax enough to allow the realization of such a radical idea as an Earthship theater. While Earthships are becoming trendy as private homes, it is still quite difficult having them approved for public use, especially in countries with strict building codes.
Self-Sustaining – Putting the Eco in the Eco-Theater
Among the most important notions for Itínera is environmental friendliness. But what does that term actually mean, specifically for a theater? What makes eco really green, without leaving any pretentious empty words? From the point of view of the theater, the focus is on resources. What can be scored locally (for free) should not be brought in from far away (for money). This goes particularly for the resources the theater uses to run its facility: lights and sound systems, but also water, including for the theater’s café, and most importantly in this climate: a passive cooling system with good ventilation.
Good thing Earthships have been invented, to meet exactly these needs. And even better, that Earthship is interested in working with Itínera in building such a self-sustaining theater. That doesn’t just mean Stef, Valeria and myself, but the company Earthship Biotecture with its famous founder Mike Reynolds. Last year Valeria designed the finalized plans together with him, and Earthship Bitechture is willing to construct the building in form of an Academy Session, an Earthship Internship, or a simple ground-up build.
Crowd-Funding Campaign
As it may be guessed, money is a major factor in deciding which approach will be taken. For this reason Itínera is planing to launch a crowd-funding campaign, once everything is ready. However, there are still a number of final steps to be taken, such as getting the full approval of the federal government. Until then we continue preparing getting prepared, and I will continue writing updates about it. Depending on many things, there may even be a sneak-peek of their campaign video. Let’s keep looking forward to it!