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Lucha Teotl Study Guide: Open Stages Online

The document provides background information on the production Lucha Teotl, a wrestling show featuring local Dallas talent wearing masks of Aztec gods. It discusses the history and cultural significance of lucha libre wrestling in Mexico, traditionally featuring colorful masks and high-flying maneuvers. Masks often represent animals and ancient heroes, and removing an opponent's mask results in disqualification. The show features masks of Aztec gods like Huitzilopochtli and Coyolxauhqui.

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15 views5 pages

Lucha Teotl Study Guide: Open Stages Online

The document provides background information on the production Lucha Teotl, a wrestling show featuring local Dallas talent wearing masks of Aztec gods. It discusses the history and cultural significance of lucha libre wrestling in Mexico, traditionally featuring colorful masks and high-flying maneuvers. Masks often represent animals and ancient heroes, and removing an opponent's mask results in disqualification. The show features masks of Aztec gods like Huitzilopochtli and Coyolxauhqui.

Uploaded by

njqpyadfpdmpmuoqko
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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OPEN STAGES ONLINE

LUCHA TEOTL STUDY GUIDE

Photo by Joshua Davis


SYNOPSIS
LUCHA TEOTL is a production from Prism Movement Theater featuring
a mix of local Dallas acting talent and local luchadores, or wrestlers. Lucha Teotl
is an immersive experience, with the audience ringside watching luchadores
wearing the masks of Aztec gods, playing out a sincere and exciting wrestling
storyline. This bilingual show follows a young rambunctious male luchador,
Huitzi, teaming up with a more experienced luchador, Coyol, to become the top
wrestlers in the world, evoking the epic, multi-year storylines that occur
throughout lucha libre.

Prism’s goal is to respectfully reflect the high drama and rich cultural history of
lucha in a theatrical narrative. They are working with seasoned lucha libre
performers in authentically creating the production to represent the community
and the craft of this popular entertainment.

PAGE 01
HISTORY
LUCHA LIBRE is a professional wrestling tradition in Mexico, characterized by
colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, high-flying maneuvers,
and, often, tag-team matches. It differs from American wrestling in that
luchadores are often more agile and use more aerial moves than American

wrestlers and several weight classes in Lucha Libre cater to smaller, thinner
fighters, which is why it is not uncommon for luchadores to begin their careers

as teenagers.

Enrique Ugartechea is credited as the first Mexican wrestler, creating this


particular style of wrestling in the 1860s based on traditional Greco-Roman
wrestling styles. Lucha Libre became televised in 1933 after Empresa Mexica de
Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling Enterprise) was formed, rapidly gaining
popularity and spreading across the country in the 1950s.

PAGE 02
AZTE C GODS
LUCHADOR MASKS are very culturally significant, often evoking images of

animals, Aztec gods, and ancient heroes, and are an integral part of the
luchador's identity. Masks are considered sacred enough that fully removing your

opponent's mask during a match is grounds for disqualification. It is very


common for luchadores to wear masks in the ring, but there are also several who
wrestle without masks at all.

Many luchadores use masks that evoke images of Aztec gods, as they wear in

Lucha Teotl. Several gods make an appearance in the show, including


Huitzilopochtli – god of the sun and war, often represented by a hummingbird or
eagle, Coyolxauhqui – goddess of the moon who was killed by her brother
Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl – the feathered serpent, associated with the sun,
the wind, creation, the planet Venus, the dawn, merchants, arts, crafts, and
knowledge, Xolotl – the dog-headed soul-guide for the dead and twin brother to

Quetzalcoatl, associated with fire, lightning, twins, monsters, misfortune, and


more, and Tezcatlipoca – god associated with creation, obsidian, providence,
hurricanes, sorcery, divination, temptation, patron of slaves, and more who lost

his right foot battling with the earth monster Cipactli, often represented by a
jaguar.

PAGE 03
ASSIGNMENT
1) Choose one of the gods featured in the show (Huitzilopochtli, Coyolxauhqui,
Quetzalcoatl, Xolotl, and Tezcatlipoca) and design a luchador mask for them.

Consider what colors to use, incorporating the different gods’ domains and
stories, what the stitching would look like, etc. Get creative!

2) Write a paragraph explaining your research and the historical evidence that
informed your design choices.

PAGE 04

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