RABINAL ACHI. Scenographic Design of a traditional Mayan Play

Abstract

The Mayan dance-drama Rabinal Achí is one of the most important remaining pre-Columbian artistic expressions today. The script of the play is written in the Mayan language of K’iche’ and is performed every year at the end of January in Rabinal, Guatemala. Believed to have first been written and performed during the Mayan Postclassic Era (AD 900-1524), the play expresses the issues that concerned the inhabitants of the region of Rabinal at the time—myths of origin, popular and political actors—through masked dance and music. This thesis is intended to explain the design process and research needed to create a scenographic design of the Rabinal Achí. The design elements created for this project include: set, lighting and costumes and are aimed to reach a contemporary North American audience in Lawrence, Kansas.