National traveling theatre troupe bringinginnovative show to Jemez Springs

Agile Rascal Bike Theatre, a national traveling theater troupe, is making a stop in Sandoval County this weekend.

The troupe’s 2023 tour hit New Mexico on Sept. 30 in Peñasco and will culminate in Santa Fe on Oct. 13.

On Oct. 8, the troupe will perform “Chai Chai” at the Jemez Springs Plaza at 7 p.m. There is no seating; participants are asked to bring blankets or lawn chairs. Jemez Mountain Brewhouse will host an after party immediately following the show.

“Chai Chai,” by writer and artist Anooj Bhandari, explores memory and the repercussions of forgetting. The show is presented by Mission Street Arts and the Jemez Springs Public Library. The play is suitable for all ages.

“This is the first time that Jemez Springs has ever been a stop on a traveling theater tour, so we are thrilled to bring Agile Rascal Bike Theatre here and connect the community with a unique but longstanding form of art,” said Mission Street Arts director, Billy Ehret.

Agile Rascal Bike Theatre was founded in 2014 by creative director Dara Silverman, who launched the idea with the goal of making plays accessible to smaller communities and fostering connections between artists, activists and cyclists. The troupe tours by bicycle, carrying sets, props, instruments and costumes to smaller communities that support the arts.

“We believe that art should be should be unstuffy, free and inviting to all people,” said Sam Cordes, the manager of Agile Rascal Bike Theatre. “Theater and bikes share a similar relationship to our society: a history of being both the rich man’s plaything and a means of lower-class, day-to-day survival. We aim to bridge this gap with creative resistance and make accessible both theater and cycling by promoting self-empowerment for every body on the planet.”

Since 2015, Agile Rascal Bike Theatre has biked more than 4,600 miles and performed at nearly 20 venues across the country. The troupe is crowdfunded by a number of sponsors. This project is made possible by Mission Street Arts in association with the Jemez Springs Public Library and supported in part by the NM Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by Friends of the Jemez Springs Public Library.