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The Ringling Welcomes Performance by Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol Theatre Collective Contact Name: Virginia Harshman Contact Email: virginia.harshman@ringling.org Contact Phone Number: 941-359-5700 Ext 2803 Sarasota, Florida—The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to welcome Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol theatre collective and their production of Tijuana. The performance, Dec. 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Historic Asolo Theater, is the staged result of a real anthropological theater experiment undertaken by Lagartijas ensemble member Gabino Rodríguez. Rodriguez abandoned his life in Mexico City to work on an assembly line in a Tijuana factory on the U.S. border. He passed under the false identity of Santiago Ramírez, wore a fake moustache, had no contact with friends, family, or colleagues and earned the legal minimum wage, which, according to the Mexican Constitution, “should cover the normal material, cultural and social needs of the head of a family and facilitate the compulsory education of his children.” His wage amounted to less than $5 per day. Rodríguez initially slips into his covert role without raising any suspicions and for which, like several million Maquiladora workers, the merciless exploitation of his physical strength and vitality is the price exacted free trade and company profits in the Mexican border region. Soon, however, he becomes plagued by ethical considerations for his co-workers and the family of his landlord, all of whom trust the worker, Santiago Ramírez, although they are actually being used by a middle-class artist as research subjects for his theatre play. Tijuana is the prelude to a large-scale political and social panorama entitled Democracy in Mexico (1965–2015), which is designed to be told in 32 parts—one for every Mexican state. It is the latest project of the Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol collective, which, since being founded in 2003, has explored the borders between documentary and fiction in various theatrical forms to reveal the contradictions in Mexico, thus aiming to use the theatre as a means of political mobilization. To date, six parts of this project have been realized. Tickets can be obtained online at ringling.org or by calling 941-360-7399. Please Note: Tijuana is performed in Spanish with English supertitles. # # # About The Ringling The Ringling is a pre-eminent center for the arts, history and learning that is dedicated to bringing the past and contemporary culture to life through extraordinary visitor experiences. From its inception, The Ringling has joined the diverse visual traditions and theatrical spectacle of yesterday with the genre-defying global practitioners of today. A place of exploration, discovery and respite, The Ringling’s campus in Sarasota, Florida – which includes the Museum of Art, the Circus Museum, an historic mansion, an 18th-century theater and bayfront gardens – is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As the State Art Museum of Florida and part of Florida State University, The Ringling fulfills an important educational mission. The Ringling offers formal and informal programs of study serving as a major resource for students, scholars, and lifelong learners of every age within the region, across the country and around the world. Media Contacts: The Ringling Virginia Harshman Public relations specialist 941-359-5700 x2803 Virginia.harshman@ringling.org