Collective Rastros Showcases «La Victoria»: A Powerful Exploration of Memory, Female Resistance, and Community Organization in Chile

Original article: Colectivo Rastros presenta «La Victoria», una obra sobre memoria, resistencia femenina y organización popular en Chile Collective Rastros Showcases «La Victoria»: A Powerful Exploration of Memory, Female Resistance, and Community Organization in Chile «La Victoria» stands out as one of the most important works in contemporary Chilean theater. Written by Gerardo Oettinger, this play offers a deep, critical perspective on memory, political violence, and the social tensions that shape Chile’s recent history. Through intimate dramaturgy, it investigates the scars left by the dictatorship and how the past continues to intrude upon the present, exploring the connections between personal memory, collective trauma, and national identity.

Oettinger’s writing features a sensitive and poetic language, while maintaining a strong political dimension. It presents characters who navigate precarious circumstances, demonstrating resilience and the urgent need to rebuild connections in a context marked by social fragmentation. In «La Victoria,» theater becomes a space for confrontation and reflection, where individual experiences resonate with the broader historical memory of a community.

By addressing themes of memory, marginality, and the human consequences of structural violence, this work is part of a tradition of Latin American theater that engages with the social and political issues facing the continent, such as Chile’s civic-military dictatorship. During this period, communal soup kitchens, primarily run by women from marginalized neighborhoods, emerged as critical forms of organization and survival in the face of poverty and state neglect, particularly affecting peripheral populations. In this context, the staging brings to light the voices of women who supported their communities through often invisible, everyday work, emphasizing the political significance of care, popular solidarity, and collective resistance against structural violence, placing them at the forefront as bearers of grief and advocates for justice.

It was precisely from these narratives—marked by loss, the disappearance of bodies, and the imperative of memory—that Collective Rastros, guided by LaFamilia Teatro, found resonance with Chile’s recent history. Through a dialogue between the classic text and contemporary issues, the collective’s work examines how bodies and community are affected by fear, violence, and the quest for belonging. Rastros is a theater collective focused on creating performances from a social and community perspective, engaged with themes related to memory, human connections, and collective processes.

In this vein, Eduardo Luna, the director of the play, states that «La Victoria also serves as a bridge: between generations, between time periods, and between absences, creating a space for reflection on memory, reparations, and the responsibility of new generations towards the stories that shape our present. » Coordinates From May 21 to May 30 (Thursday to Saturday)19:30 hoursTheater de Bolsillo | Erasmo Escala 218, SantiagoTickets available HEREPrice: $8000 general, $6000 students and seniors, $5000 neighbor agreements, $4000 AIEP-Chile Theater Academy agreements.