Monkey Business Theatre (Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies)

In 1983, a group of citizens in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, formed Sna Jtz'ibajom, the Tzotzil-Tzeltal Maya writers' cooperative. In the two decades since, this group has evolved from writing and publishing bilingual booklets to writing and performing plays that have earned them national and international renown. Anthropologist Robert M. Laughlin has been a part of the group since its beginnings, and he offers a unique perspective on its development as a Mayan cultural force. The Monkey Business Theatre, or Teatro Lo'il Maxil, as this branch of Sna Jtz'ibajom calls itself, has presented plays in virtually every corner of the state of Chiapas, as well as in Mexico City, Guatemala, Honduras, Canada, and in many museums and universities in the United States. It has presented to the world, for the first time in drama, a view of the culture of the Mayas of Chiapas. In this work, Laughlin presents a translation of twelve of the plays created by Sna Jtz'ibajom, along with an introduction for each. Half of the plays are based on myths and half on the social, political, and economic problems that have confronted—and continue to confront—the Mayas of Chiapas. Contents......Page 8 Foreword. The Visitors’ Question (Carter Wilson)......Page 10 Preface. Recollections of a Ghost (Ralph Lee)......Page 22 Acknowledgments......Page 28 Pronunciation and Translation......Page 35 1. Looking Back, Looking Forward: In the Beginning......Page 38 2. Febrero Loco: A Live Theatre in the Making......Page 46 3. The Theatre on the Road: The Great Adventure......Page 54 4. Personal and Social Impacts......Page 60 5. The Immokalee Special: Social Action in Florida......Page 70 6. The Future......Page 78 THE PLAYS......Page 80 The Loafer and the Buzzard......Page 82 Who Believes in Spooks?......Page 96 Deadly Inheritance......Page 112 Jaguar Dynasty......Page 136 Let’s Go to Paradise!......Page 158 From All for All......Page 186 Torches for a New Dawn......Page 210 The Story of Our Roots......Page 234 Workers in the Other World......Page 262 When Corn Was Born......Page 284 Mexico with Us Forever!......Page 298 The World Turned on Its Head......Page 318 Appendix 1. Individuals Referred to in the Text......Page 330 Appendix 2. Members and Former Members of Sna Jtz’ibajom......Page 331 Appendix 3. Length of Service......Page 333 Glossary......Page 334 Bibliography......Page 336 Index......Page 346 In 1983, a group of citizens in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, formed Sna Jtz'ibajom, the Tzotzil-Tzeltal Maya writers' cooperative. In the two decades since, this group has evolved from writing and publishing bilingual booklets to writing and performing plays that have earned them national and international renown. Anthropologist Robert M. Laughlin has been a part of the group since its beginnings, and he offers a unique perspective on its development as a Mayan cultural force. The Monkey Business Theatre, or Teatro Lo'il Maxil, as this branch of Sna Jtz'ibajom calls itself, has presented plays in virtually every corner of the state of Chiapas, as well as in Mexico City, Guatemala, Honduras, Canada, and in many museums and universities in the United States. It has presented to the world, for the first time in drama, a view of the culture of the Mayas of Chiapas. In this work, Laughlin presents a translation of twelve of the plays created by Sna Jtz'ibajom, along with an introduction for each. Half of the plays are based on myths and half on the social, political, and economic problems that have confronted and continue to confront the Mayas of Chiapas. -- Amazon.com In 1983, a group of citizens in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, formed Sna Jtz'ibajom, the Tzotzil-Tzeltal Maya writers' cooperative. This group has evolved from writing and publishing bilingual booklets to writing and performing plays that have earned them renown. This book offers a perspective on its development as a Mayan cultural force.