Sheldon Vol2 PINK

This show is only performed seasonally. For lucky audience members who get to attend Hasta La Muerte live, what do you hope they take away from the experience? Death is not the end—it is just the beginning. Death does not have to be synonymous with negativity or sadness. Death allows us to remember, to forget, to start over, to honor and to not regret. What inspired the title Hasta La Muerte, and what does it mean for someone to say ”Until Death”? We didn’t want Disney to be the only ones writing great songs for Day of the Dead! (Laughs.) We saw Coco (2017) too, and felt that we had an obligation to write our own Day of the Dead stories. We wanted to uplift the idea that the love we feel does not end with the passing of a loved one—on the contrary, it lives on, even in death. The song Hasta La Muerte shares that story. What has it been like to share the show with audiences so far? Amazing. Death is something we all share as humans, but we all experience it differently. The show takes individuals through the different stages of death, like grief and pain, but also celebration. We love hearing the different ways audience members interpret, and are impacted by, the show. The feedback has been wonderful and we have heard stories from audience members who practice Day of the Dead, and from folks who didn’t even know what Day of the Dead was. What are some of the traditional elements of a Día de Los Muertos altar that you feature onstage, and what do they symbolize? We’ll have yellow and gold marigolds—often referred to as the “flower of the dead”—which are called Cempazuchilt in Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs). The flowers are placed on an altar and, many times, are used as a walkway to the altar to guide your ancestors. We will also have the four elements of life represented on the altar: fire, water, earth and wind. These elements can be represented by a candle, a bowl of sand, feathers and matches. We will also have copal, a fragrant tree sap, and sage, both of which give off a scent usually found in Day of the Dead celebrations. Our altar will also have pictures of our loved ones that have passed, and will have objects, food and mementos that remind us of them. How has creating and performing Hasta La Muerte impacted your personal relationship to Day of the Dead? For us, this is not just a show—it’s a personal practice. With the show, we had to have honest conversations about our own grief and traumas with death, but in a collective manner. It has brought us closer as a company and has made the show more authentic and real. We caught up with the Las Cafeteras vocalist, musician and dancer to learn more about Hasta La Muerte, the traditions that inspired it, and why the eternal reality of death feels, somehow, very now. An interview with We’re thrilled for you to return to The Sheldon. What’s in store for this new show? Something old, something new, something dead, something blue! (Laughs.) We are excited to evolve as a production and present something that is very dear to us: a celebration of life through the celebration of death. This is not a musical, not just a performance, but an experience. We hope to tantalize all the senses in sharing an Indigenous practice that is recognized by all cultures: the practice of honoring our loved ones. Art and the use of color are significant in celebrations of Day of the Dead. How do these elements factor into the show and how do they work together with the music? The great Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada is considered the grandfather of modern Day of the Dead artwork. He created imagery to mock and celebrate death at the same time, and we hope to incorporate elements that pay homage to his work. Day of the Dead also comes to us in the fall season, which already brings us many colors, emotions and palettes that help capture the time, place and essence of a Day of the Dead celebration in small town Mexico. We hope that when audiences walk into the show, they are transported by all their senses with the scent of sage and copal, sounds of pre-colonial life and colorful visuals. Can you talk about the important role of music in honoring Day of the Dead? Music is like your spirit, you can’t see it, but it has the ability to move you. Music is an ancient form of celebration, of common connection and in many cultures, our ability to communicate with our ancestors. We hope to use the auditory senses to ground audiences in the show and in the practice of Día de los Muertos. The Sheldon’s Day of the Dead programs are presented in partnership with the Missouri Humanities and with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund and sponsored by Incarnate Word Foundation. E X P E R I E N C E Hasta La Muerte: A Day of the Dead Show by Las Cafeteras WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8 AT 8 P.M. AT THE SHELDON Craft a Calaca! Turn to page 40 to create your very own Day of the Dead dancing skeleton. Día de los Muertos Family Event (co-presented with Hispanic Festival, Inc.) SATURDAY, OCT. 28 FROM 10 A.M. – 2 P.M. Learn about the cultural history and customs of Day of the Dead with a family-friendly day of education, crafts, food and celebration. Join the celebration! M O R E W A Y S T O M I N G L E W I T H T H E M U E R T O S 9 VOLUME Art that Takes Up Space