“War is inevitable — but there are miracles. Every day millions of people die, yet we live as if death will never touch us.”
-St. Vyasa, The Mahabharata

These words sit at the heart of one of the greatest epic poems— a meditation on war, death, and loss. Its core question is of a particular resonance: what should we fight for and why?

Over the past three years, in an attempt to understand this exact question, Theater Mitu has gathered hours of interviews with a range of communities worldwide: current and past members of military forces; citizens who have been directly affected by war; people diagnosed with terminal illness and their families; doctors, nurses, police, spiritual leaders, scholars, teachers, mental health professionals, and artists. As they touch upon, come to the edge of, and often confront death, each interview becomes a portrait of what is left behind — a remnant.

The result is a new work— part performance, part visual art installation. Engaging Theater Mitu’s interdisciplinary practice, this piece interjects interviews with found text, technology, and image. It affirms how loss can scar us, shape us, and at times propel us towards change—towards understanding what we should fight for and why.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Theater Mitu’s piece Remnant is an affecting and surprising reflection on loss. This new work is noteworthy both for its engagement of Theater Mitu’s interdisciplinary practice and for its delicate and empathic look at difficult and painful experiences. WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Remnant is an interdisciplinary performance and visual art installation created after three years of gathering hours of interviews with a range of communities worldwide touching upon the topics of death, loss, and war, each interview becoming a remnant. These remnants have been sewn together to create a three part cycle, a three-act play with no beginning or ending, with sound delivered through headphones. CAST & CREW: Rubén Polendo (Director)… has masterfully crafted a performance and experience. The synchronicity that he has created and the artistic and theatrical tension he has facilitated are impeccable and tangible in the space. THE CRITICAL EYE: The company has done something incredible. Each artist brings different skills, experiences, and craft to the piece; they’ve come together in a way that is at different times cinematic, deeply theatrical, and striking to the senses. The strength …Read more