1 For instance, see "Who are the Indians? Reconceptualizing Indigenous Identity, Resistance, and the Role of Social Science in Latin America" by Les W. Field in Latin American Research Review 29:3 (1994): 237-246.

2 Literally, theatre under a tent--itinerant theatre popular in Mexico during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the pre-mass media era, teatro de carpa featured "sketches" with political and social commentary that served to keep the populace, even in the remote areas of the country, informed of current events.

3 All quotes in this essay, including those from texts and interviews in Spanish, are my translations.

4 Merolico is a familiar character in Mexican urban life for which there is no good translation in English. The term refers to the wandering street peddler whose is as famous for his humorous oratory as for the wares being sold. Merolicos provide entertainment while they earn their living in the streets.

5 Jesusa Rodríguez is considered one of the prominent theatre artists of the Mexican the avant-garde of the last several decades. Often under the threat of official and unofficial censorship, Jesusa owns her own theatre, La Capilla, and theatre-bar, El Hábito, located in Mexico City. For an analysis of their work, see Diana Taylor's "'High Aztec' or Performing Anthro Pop," Jean Franco's "A Touch of Evil," (and Kirsten Nigro's "Un revuelto de la historia, la memoria y el género."

6 Teatro de revista, or review theatre, was popular during the end of the 19th and first three decades of the 20th century. It not only served as entertainment, but in a country as large as Mexico, due to illiteracy and lack of access to newspapers, review theatre was a source of news and a venue for open criticism of the government or other figures of the times (Escarcega Rodríguez 3-8).

7 In recent years, Reyes has captured the imagination of various Mexican female artists who have attempted to revive her legendary strong personality and spirit as well as singing style. Astrid was one of the first on this project, writing a movie script which was then taken over by film director Arturo Ripstein. The result is the film, Reina de la noche, first screened in Mexico in August, 1994, the anniversary of Reyes death/suicide.

8 When Astrid was interviewed in 1987 on national television, the camera crew, in order to censor the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on her skirt, used special red lighting to block the image all together.

9 It is important to note that in performances in other venues with different spectators, the reception of her and her work is markedly different. For instance, in a tribute to Lucha Reyes, Códigos secretos, (Secret Codes) presented at the Museo del Chopo (March 16, 1995) with an audience of mainly university students of limited means (they paid 3 pesos to get in), the response was overwhelming approval. From their reactions and comments, it was obvious that they understood the various levels of meaning encoded in all the languages of the stage and visual representation that Hadad incorporates.