This month starts off strong with Day of the Dead and from there it’s all about Christmas. But first, take a look at the plays to see in CDMX.
There are stories of drama, mystery or comedy, but also musicals and titles to reflect on.
Have you been eating pan de muerto with hot chocolate? We hope you have.
And of course we already have the list of the exhibitions you can’t miss this month.
Also, we discovered Foro Off Spring, a space in the San Rafael neighborhood where you’ll find free theater plays. Do you already know it?
Without further ado… this is the third call, third call… let’s get started! 🎭
1. Alicia
A new adaptation of Lewis Carroll ‘s classic comes to CDMX. One of the most attractive things is that the stage mixes cast, scenography and a multimedia environment that immerses you in the magical world. As you know, the story is about Alice and her fall down a rabbit hole to Wonderland. The black and white aesthetic takes the whole theatrical experience to a whole new level of textures, lights and contrasts.
🗓️ Sun, 1 p.m., through Dec. 24
🎟️ From $270 per person
📍 Un teatro (Nuevo León 46, Hipódromo)
2. What you keep in your backpack
This play in CDMX speaks to young audiences and the backpack is the metaphor of what each student keeps in his or her emotional baggage. Ían and Cora are the terror of Áteles High School, where they are bullied. The story takes a turn when the students discover the true motives behind bullying and why their victims prefer to remain silent and suffer in silence.
🗓️ Sat-Sun, 1 p.m., through Dec. 15
🎟️ $248 per person
📍 Helénico Cultural Center (Av. Revolución 1500, Guadalupe Inn)
3. The antipalomas
In this story, a little girl strikes up a curious friendship with the building in which she lives with her family. The building is terrified of pigeons, hence the name of the mise-en-scène. When she begins to suspect that her father might have another family, Renata plays detective and discovers that all families keep secrets.
🗓️ Sat-Sun, 12:30 p.m., through Dec. 15
🎟️ $80 per person
📍 Teatro del Bosque “Julio Castillo” (Paseo de la Reforma and Campo Marte s/n, Chapultepec)
4. Yerma
One of Federico García Lorca ‘s classics returns to the plays to see in CDMX. And more than 90 years after it was written, the story of Yerma is still relevant. It is about motherhood as the ultimate longing of the protagonist, who is subjected to the judgment and scorn of those around her.
🗓️ Wed-Thurs, 8:30 p.m.
🎟️ $672 plus service charge
📍 Teatro Milán-Foro Lucerna (Lucerna 64, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc)
5. Hasta encontrarte
This Teatro UNAM project seeks to make visible the pain of the families of missing persons in Mexico. Adapted from the British version Until I Find You, the story is based on this Mexican reality and how mothers, sisters and daughters -mainly- undertake their own search, against a corrupt judicial system and a society that has normalized the problem to the point of indifference.
🗓️ Thu-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 7pm, and Sun, 6pm, through November 24.
🎟️ $150 per person
📍 Santa Catarina Theater (Jardín Santa Catarina 10, Coyoacán)
6. Tattoo
This staging is a crude portrayal of how violence and sexual abuse are experienced at home and at the hands of the closest family members. The father is alcoholic and abusive. Under his roof, his wife, daughter and sister are constant victims. Social conventions and external indifference prevent them from breaking out of this vicious circle that oppresses and silences them.
🗓️ Thu-Fri, 8 p.m.; Sat, 7 p.m., and Sun, 6 p.m., through Nov. 17
🎟️ $150 per person
📍 El Galeón Theater (Paseo de La Reforma and Campo Marte s/n, Chapultepec)
7. I am not Masina
Zuadd Atala stars and directs this another one of the plays to see in CDMX. The actress embodies Giulietta Masina, muse and love of the great Federico Fellini. Through the female characters of the films La strada, Nights of Cabiria and Giulietta of the Spirits, the story addresses current issues such as the myth of romantic love, marriage and the taboos that still surround sexuality.
🗓️ Sat-Sun, 8 p.m., through Dec. 15
🎟️ $238 per person
📍 Helénico Cultural Center (Av. Revolución 1500, Guadalupe Inn)
8. Jesuscrito superstar
With a multi-star cast, headed by Benny Ibarra, Erick Rubin, Maria Leon and Ximena Sariñana, this super-production will have a short run in our city.
It is a theatrical classic, original by the award-winning American producer Andrew Lloyd Webber. For its last season, 2021, the scenography was composed of 1,125 square meters. 😱
On stage, you’ll see 44 singers, actresses and dancers, bringing to life the last week of Jesus‘ life. Although it will be a contemporary version, it will follow the steps of its protagonist alongside his disciples and Mary Magdalene, but from the perspective of Judas.
🗓️ Fri, 8 pm; Sat, 5 pm and 8:30 pm, and Sun, 5 pm, through November 23.
🎟️ From $1,062 plus service charge
📍 Centro Cultural Teatro 1 (Av. Cuauhtémoc 19, Roma, Cuauhtémoc)
9. Cati, Catalina, Calicó
When Luisa, a successful woman who lives too fast, meets the kitten Catalina, everything changes. The dreamy-eyed kitty will make her see life in a different way, much more peaceful and brighter.
Both of them establish a close bond, with which the human will learn to face the losses and distances that separate her from her loved ones in a better way.
Catalina will teach her that love moves mountains and that the sea is capable of calming any noise.
🗓️ Sat-Sun, 1 p.m. (through Nov. 3)
🎟️ From $107 per person
📍 Sergio Magaña Theater (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 114, Santa María la Ribera, Cuauhtémoc)
10. Un novio para mi nieto (A boyfriend for my grandson)
How important is it for you to feel loved? The premise of this play is to confront you with your fears of loneliness or inconsequentiality. After losing Oscar in an accident, Isaac feels orphaned and without a place in the world.
The protagonist also keeps a dark secret that torments him and affects all the relationships in his life, including the one he has with his grandmother, who is willing to do anything to save her grandson from the clutches of madness.
This other play to see in CDMX is ideal if you are looking for a proposal full of emotions. Themes such as guilt, destiny, loneliness and forgiveness are explored with a very human and empathetic perspective.
🗓️ Sat, 8:30 pm, through Nov. 30
🎟️ $250 and $300 per person, depending on the area.
📍 Photo Sylvia Pasquel (Juan Escutia 96, Condesa, Cuauhtémoc)
11. Murder for two
Now, if you are looking for a good laugh, this is your option! This is one of the most awaited premieres of Teatro Milán for this season.
The play has 10 characters, but there are only two actors on stage: one who plays the detective and the other who transforms into 9 different people, all related to the murder that the first one investigates.
And that’s not all, but the main characters also play live piano, dance and sing while they tell us the story.
A famous writer was murdered during his birthday party, so a police officer arrives to find out and interrogates all the suspects. The encounters become hilarious, as everyone seems to have their own motives for committing the crime.
🗓️ Wed, 20:45 (through Dec. 25)
🎟️ From $300 per person, plus service charge.
📍 Teatro Milán-Foro Lucerna (Lucerna 64, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc)
12. Carnales
In a legendary cantina in the Centro Histórico, a group of five friends reunite 30 years later to catch up and reminisce about their shared childhood.
As they realize how much they have changed and how little they now have in common, they unearth dark memories that force them to recognize themselves as victims and perpetrators of different forms of violence. They will also become aware of how the consequences of those actions were very different for each of them.
At a time when we are seeking to redefine masculinities, eradicate machismo and open dialogues about how men are pigeonholed by the system since childhood, this production is a must-see.
🗓️ Thu, 20:30
🎟️ $600 per person
📍 Rafael Solana Theater (Av. Miguel Ángel de Quevedo 687, San Francisco, Coyoacán)
13. Hilos
The talented Alejandra Ambrosi debuts as director and producer of this other play to see this month in CDMX. She is also the protagonist.
The actress, who you may remember for her role as Marcela in the second season of Soy tu fan, plays Emma. Her character’s life is in a very dark moment, having lost her family, friends, career and even her dignity.
Determined to regain control, she starts by purging her room and digging up all her memories. It is her third move, forced by a legal process that has been a nightmare, and in the process of cleaning and getting rid of what no longer serves her, she will recall all the times she has been violated by a system that oppresses women in many ways.
🗓️ Tue, 8:30 p.m., through Dec. 17
🎟️ From $385 plus service charge
📍 Teatro Milán-Foro Lucerna (Lucerna 64, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc)
14. Esquizofrenia
A must-see in our recommendations of plays to see in CDMX in March 2024. The main character, a brilliant and surprising Rafael Perrín, voluntarily enters a mental hospital to study patients with schizophrenia.
During his experiment, his mind will begin to betray him… do all people suffer from some degree of schizophrenia, does he suffer, or do you?
As he recalls what he experienced, things spiral out of control and his mind – and that of his audience – is unable to distinguish whether what is happening is fiction or reality.
🗓️ Wed-Thurs, 8:30 p.m.
🎟️ tickets available for $500
📍 Ramiro Jiménez Theater (División del Norte 2545, Del Carmen, Coyoacán)
15. ZM, a new musical
A zombie musical! From the production that mounted the hit Sweeney Todd (to name one), comes a promising new staging with a huge cast.
From the extravagant mind of Greg Kotis, the story is about a fast food chain that releases a sandwich that -apparently- turns people into zombies.
Unaware of the side effects, the staff starts selling the novel recipe, and will now have to deal with a hungry – but human – clientele!
🗓️ Fri, 8pm; Sat, 7:30pm, and Sun, 6:15pm (through Nov. 30)
🎟️ From $924
📍 Teatro Milán-Foro Lucerna (Lucerna 64, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc)
16. Dostoyevsky: The Demons and the Idiot
This is a complex psychological drama by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, in which compassion, faith and tenderness seem to have disappeared from the world.
In this reality, Princess Nastasia, who represents the entire human race, is torn between good and evil. On one side she has Rogozhin, who embodies uncontrolled passion; on the other, Mishkin, who is loving, but foolish.
The cast is headed by Cassandra Ciangherotti, María Inés Pintado and Mariana Gajá, alternating roles.
🗓️ Fri, 8:30 pm; Sat, 7 pm, and Sun, 6 pm (through Nov. 20)
🎟️ Starting at $235.25, plus service charge.
📍 Teatro Milán-Foro Lucerna (Lucerna 64, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc)
17. The House of Bernarda Alba, the Musical
Federico García Lorca ‘s classic reaches a new level with this musicalized version. Although the original play has only female characters, on stage in this other play to see in CDMX there are only men.
This feature is intended to enhance a critique of machismo, while the matriarch of the house – a widow – struggles to maintain an iron discipline in her home. Her daughters have been locked up for eight years, still mourning the death of their father, and are subdued by their authoritarian mother, who is most concerned about what people will say.
🗓️ Tue-Wed, 8:30 p.m.
🎟️ From $200, plus service charge
📍 Teatro Sogem “Wilberto Cantón” (José María Velasco 59, San José Insurgentes, Benito Juárez)
18. La ternura
Is anything goes in love and war? That is the premise of this story, in which three men and three women try to discover if they really belong to “opposite sexes“.
With a funny tone and a production design reminiscent of Shakespearean theater, the plot questions gender roles, standards and taboos imposed by society, and makes us question why we continue to replicate them.
🗓️ Fri, 7pm and 9:30pm; Sat, 1 8am and 8:30pm, and Sun, 5pm and 7pm.
🎟️ Starting at $855, plus service charges.
📍 Teatro Libanés (Barranca del Muerto corner of 2 de abril, Crédito Constructor, Benito Juárez)
19. The Lady in Black
The longest running play currently in CDMX never disappoints. It features the celebrated performances of Rafael Perrín, Odiseo Bichir, Alejandro Tomassi, Juan Carlos Colombo and Ernesto D’Alessio, among others, alternating roles.
In the story, Arthur Kipps has written a play about a chilling event that changed his life. During the staging process, strange events begin to happen and not only on stage. 😰
🗓️ Friday, 8:30pm; Saturday, 6pm and 8:30pm, and Sunday, 6pm.
🎟️ Your tickets from $500
📍 Teatro Ofelia (Av. Thiers 287, Anzures, Miguel Hidalgo)
20. Los días de la nieve
With a legendary career of more than 40 years, Carmen Vera, the protagonist of this monologue, is a guarantee.
It is said that fans of Joan Manuel Serrat will particularly enjoy this another of the plays to see in CDMX, as they will be able to identify several of his lyrics in the script. In fact, the story is based on the poetry of Miguel Hernández, through the eyes of his widow.
Josefina Manresa narrates all her experiences at the artist’s side, including those of suffering.
🗓️ Mon, 8 p.m. (until Dec. 9)
🎟️ $350 general admission
📍 Café K-OZ Foro Cultural (Séneca 1329, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo)
21. The good soul of Sezuán
A free proposal among the plays you can see this month in CDMX. Seeking to confirm that on earth there are still pure of heart and kind people, three gods descend from heaven to visit humans.
On the verge of aborting their mission, after encountering only greed, selfishness and evil, they finally arrive at an impoverished village known as Sezuán, where the young Shen-Te opens the doors of her home to them and gives them shelter and food.
As a reward, the gods grant her money for her to open a business that will allow her to get out of poverty, but on the condition that she will remain honorable.
The protagonist will now experience dilemmas she has never faced before and will see that doing good is not always so easy. Will she succeed in fulfilling her mission?
🗓️ Sat-Sun, 11 a.m. (until November 30)
🎟️ Free admission
📍 Esplanada de la Fuente del Centro Cultural Universitario (Insurgentes Sur 3000, CU, Coyoacán)
22. Inferno
Have you heard legends about ghosts haunting CDMX theaters? Well, that’s the central theme of this story.
The genius of horror Rafael Perrín is the undoubted guarantee behind this title, in which at some point you will lose track of what is real and what is fiction.
Accompanying Perrín on stage are: Ruy Senderos, Emmanuel Okaury, Alessandra Goñi, Ernesto Godoy, Miranda Norman, Ricardo Morel, Damián Martínez and César Perrín.
🗓️ Fri, 8:30 p.m., and Sat, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
🎟️ Tickets available for $500
📍 Enrique Elizalde Theater (Héroes del 47 #122, San Mateo, Coyoacán)
23. Cabaret
Now headed by Itatí Cantoral, a tremendous cast continues to shine with this staging that unites music, theater and burlesque.
The story takes place during the New Year’s Eve of 1929, in Berlin, where frivolity, eroticism and partying reign. Star dancer Sally Bowles (Cantoral) and the rest of the cast at the Kit Kat Club are unaware that the Nazi party is about to take power.
Surprise yourself with a live orchestra, vintage drinks and food, and get ready to travel back in time. It has been triumphing for months as one of the favorite plays to see in CDMX.
🗓️ Fri, 8:30pm; Sat, 5pm and 8:30pm, and Sun, 1:30pm and 5:30pm.
🎟️ From $1,062 per person, plus service charges.
📍 Teatro de los Insurgentes (Av. de los Insurgentes Sur 1587, San José Insurgentes, Benito Juárez)
24. 2:22, A Paranormal Story
This plot is perfect to keep you on the edge of your seat. Having just moved into their new house, Eli and Sam will test their opposing beliefs about the paranormal.
One night, Laura and Fer visit them for dinner and things take a disturbing turn. Right at 2:22 a.m. a chilling secret will be revealed to them.Are you up for finding out?
🗓 Fri, 8:45pm; Sat, 7:30pm, and Sun, 6:30pm.
🎟️ From $605 per person
📍Teatro Julio Prieto Xola (Eje 4 Sur 809, Del Valle Norte, Benito Juárez)
25. Siete veces adiós
A less idealistic and more current point of view of couple relationships.
The protagonists have been together for seven years, which we witness through fragments in non-linear time, but which allow us to see the background of the imminent breakup.
The romantic and difficult passages of this story are presented in a musical format, with a colloquial language with which you will surely identify. Love also means knowing when to say goodbye.
🗓️ Fri, 8 p.m.; Sat, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sun, 5 p.m.
🎟️ From $300
📍 Ramiro Jiménez Theater (Division del Norte 2545, Del Carmen, Coyoacán)