Contemporary Theatre in Mayan Mexico: Death-Defying ActsFrom the dramatization of local legends to the staging of plays by Shakespeare and other canonical playwrights to the exploration of contemporary sociopolitical problems and their effects on women and children, Mayan theatre is a flourishing cultural institution in southern Mexico. Part of a larger movement to define Mayan self identity and reclaim a Mayan cultural heritage, theatre in Mayan languages has both reflected on and contributed to a growing