Happy Columbus Day?

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More and more, traditional notions of Christopher Columbus as “heroic explorer” are giving way to the historical facts of Christopher Columbus's voyage: As indigenous peoples had been living in the Americas for several millennia, crediting him with “discovering” the continent isn't quite accurate. Instead, Columbus's arrival brought with it slavery and colonialism; and as we understand thanks to contemporary historical research, Columbus himself was in fact an ambitious and quite ruthless individual. It is these historical facts that have prompted both Minneapolis and Seattle to celebrate “Indigenous People's Day” today instead.

These facts are also at the heart of the upcoming drama on MCA Stage, La Reunión a work that imagines a final conversation between Queen Isabella and Christopher Columbus where he explains his actions and pleads for absolution in the hours before the Queen's death. Produced by Chile's innovative Teatro en el Blanco, the historical personage of Christopher Columbus is explored, while the celebratory myth is left behind.