A new Mexico–United States theatrical collaboration is set to make its New York debut this week, highlighting the growing creative exchange between artists and cultural institutions on both sides of the border. PACKRAT: The Quest for Abundance, a production by Concrete Temple Theatre, arrives in the city. It’s a bilingual work shaped by collaboration with Mexican artists and communities, and inspired by Indigenous knowledge from northern Mexico.
Directed by Renee Philippi, the piece is the result of a multi-year creative process between the New York–based company and Contenidos Artísticos, a Mexican production platform led by Cristina Vázquez. The project reflects a shared commitment to cross cultural dialogue, artistic responsibility and international exchange.
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Packrat, the son of a Mexico–U.S. theater collaboration in NY
The origins of the opera trace back to 2023, when Concrete Temple Theatre was invited to present its opera at the Cervantino International Festival in Mexico. That encounter sparked a deeper collaboration, leading the creative team to Sonora in April 2024 to participate in the Comcáac (Seri) World Music Festival.
There, artists from Mexico and the U.S. engaged directly with the Comcáac Nation, forging relationships that would shape the conceptual foundation of the new work.
Central to the piece is the influence of conversations with René Montaño, a Comcáac elder and linguist, whose reflections on ancestry, environmental balance, leadership and the future became a key source of inspiration. While PACKRAT is not a documentary nor a literal portrayal of the community, Philippi emphasizes to El Mundo USA that it is deeply informed by those exchanges and grounded in respect and collaboration.
“This work was born from listening,” Philippi has said, noting the importance of ensuring that the artistic process honored the voices and perspectives that inspired it. Throughout development, Mexican artists and cultural advisors were actively involved, helping the team navigate questions of representation, ritual, and balance.
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One of the defining features of PACKRAT: The Quest for Abundance is its fully bilingual structure. Performed in both English and Spanish, with simultaneous translation woven into the staging, the production aims to create a shared theatrical space for diverse audiences—reflecting the cultural realities of both Mexico and the United States, as well as the multicultural fabric of New York City.
New opportunities
The New York premiere also serves as a launch point for the production’s broader ambitions. The company will present the work during the APAP conference, seeking opportunities to tour the piece across the United States and, eventually, return it to Mexico—continuing the cross-border dialogue that gave rise to the project.
PACKRAT: The Quest for Abundance will premiere at Dixon Place in New York City on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., marking a significant moment for contemporary theater rooted in international collaboration and shared cultural storytelling.
