THEATER / IMMERSIVE INSTALLATION

Utopian Hotline

A Mitu Collaboration

Open Installation: October 11-13, 2024, during ART IN KAYENTA

Performances: October 17-20, 2024

The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

“Part sci-fi call center, part group therapy for those who long to connect, Utopian Hotline. is a meditative and soothing experience.” – No Proscenium

“It is a multidisciplinary cloud ride to the stars and back.” – The Front Row Center

Step into the cosmic conversation with Theater Mitu’s latest creation out of Brooklyn, New York. Inspired by the 1977 NASA Voyager mission, which launched a vinyl recording of natural sounds found on Earth into space, as well as the uncertainty and isolations in our world today, this experimental performance begs the question: if we were to send another message into the  distant future, what message would we send?

Part vinyl recording and part live performance, Utopian Hotline uses real voicemails left on a public hotline and to create a moment of community, while inviting audience members around a communal table to re-imagine our shared future.

What You’ll Experience: 

– This is a non-narrative performance installation, which is experienced entirely on headphones. Think of it as a puzzle and the missing piece is you.  The headphones act as a tether, connecting you to the performers.

– This is an immersive installation. You will be invited to remove your shoes upon entrance to the exhibit and choose a spot to sit on a comfortable pink carpet. We are happy to support any additional accessibility needs.

– Each performance is approximately 45min in duration with multiple performances occurring on each day (please see the schedule for exact timings).

– There is no intermission.

About Theater Mitu: 

Driven by a commitment to innovation, Theater Mitu expands the definition of theater through methodical experimentation with its form.

Founded in 1997, Theater Mitu has earned a wide reputation as an adventuresome and dynamic ensemble of artists. Under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Rubén Polendo, the Company is committed to challenging the parameters of theater research and practice. Theater Mitu’s work is situated in the tension between acting and performance, theatrical design and installation, multimedia and interactive technology. Their practice investigates trans-global performance; interdisciplinary collaborative models; the performativity of non-violence; the geopolitics of objects; contemporary mythology; artist training, ritual and the sacred. Its considerable body of work has taken on a variety of forms: developmental and production work with some of the world’s leading theatrical innovators, research and pedagogical work with renowned universities and conservatories, engagement with non-theatrical communities, and international trainings and research initiatives with leaders in the field.