‘La Ruta’ A Desperate Journey

The world premiere of “La Ruta” at the Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago by playwright Isaac Gomez has figuratively commandeered a bus transporting “maquila” workers to and from their jobs in Juarez, pointing its headlights into the vast darkness to expose the despair and anguish of the mothers and sisters of hundreds of women kidnapped, used as sex slaves, murdered and disposed of like trash in the Mexican desert.

According to Gomez this is a story that has been systematically silenced through intimidation and adherence to a Latin American culture of toxic masculinity, or “machista.”

“La Ruta” focuses on the few days leading up to and the nearly three years following the disappearance of “Brenda” played by Cher Alvarez and is based on a compilation of a number of true stories.

Listen to the full audio review by Reno Lovison in the Pod O’ Matic player above, subscribe at Spotify or read it entirely at ChicagoTheaterandArts.com