Play about the case of disappearance in the Dirty War, in the Forum La Gruta

A theatrical production exploring the disappearance of activist Alicia de los Ríos Merino during Mexico’s Dirty War will open today at the Foro La Gruta in the Centro Cultural Helénico. The play, titled Vuelos nocturnos sobre un mar sin fondo (Night Flights Over a Bottomless Sea), marks the beginning of its season and aims to bring attention to historical cases of forced disappearances in Mexico through a poetic narrative that interweaves multiple voices, materials, and time periods. The production, created by the theater company Teatro Línea de Sombra, is based on extensive research involving interviews with journalists, experts, historians, human rights defenders, family members, neighbors, and others connected to the case. It focuses on the disappearance of Alicia de los Ríos Merino, who was a member of the Liga Comunista 23 de Septiembre and vanished in 1978. The play seeks to highlight how the issue of forced disappearances remains a pressing concern in contemporary Mexico. Alicia de los Ríos, the historian and daughter of the disappeared activist, discussed the creative process behind the performance. She emphasized that the goal is to demonstrate that history is not static and that the play brings back painful moments related to her mother's disappearance. “I believe historians are very enslaved by time,” she said. “In art, however, time is performative. In this play, we make big jumps in time, moving forward and backward. The work is not static; it moves quickly.” Much of the production is grounded in archival research, according to the historian. “The play deals with how we show the archive,” she explained. “It might seem brief because Alicia disappeared at 25, but it goes beyond her personal journey. It reflects the archive of the search, the investigative processes, which involve many people rather than just one individual. I think the play could also relate to anyone who has been disappeared.” De los Ríos noted that the search for her mother does not leave the archive behind to move onto the stage, but instead complements it to build the poetic essence of the play. “These things are not separate,” she said. “This play adds to the archive of that search. My initial fear was knowing that I am not an actress, but a teacher and researcher. However, that is exactly what people will see, an individual who has been searching since childhood for someone who disappeared.” She stressed that the aim is to make the archive come alive so that those attending the play can witness it. “People won’t see an actress,” she said. “They’ll see someone opening up that archive, the story of those moments.” One challenge in constructing the narrative was condensing the vast amount of material surrounding Alicia de los Ríos Merino’s disappearance. “It was a challenge, but I believe it worked well,” De los Ríos said. “For the artists who created the play, it was easier to determine the impact of the archives and decide whether to include them or not.” According to the researcher, the phenomenon of disappearances currently affecting the country has roots in those committed during the Cold War era. “I am convinced that the increase in disappearances in this century was precisely because it became an example of the perfect crime built on impunity,” she stated. The play will remain available until August 23, with performances scheduled from Friday to Sunday.