As the longest night of the year approaches, the city of Tiutećan is engulfed in darkness—cursed by the gods and cut off from its ancestral language, Nawat. Desperate for the return of light and the words that once sustained their people, the citizens turn to their king, who has spent his life trying to outrun a prophecy of destruction. Unbeknownst to him, his search for the city’s salvation may lead him directly into the heart of the prophecy.
Set during the winter solstice, this adaptation of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King masterfully blends myth with cultural revival. Here, the fate of one man mirrors the fate of an entire city. As the Solstice King confronts the buried truths of his past, the Elders of Tiutećan gather in ritual, calling upon the gods for guidance and the return of their forgotten language. The solstice—both a night of deep darkness and the promise of returning light—serves as a powerful symbol of rebirth and revelation, echoing the struggle of a community to reclaim its heritage.
The Solstice King dives into themes of fate, identity, and the quest for truth, celebrating the Nawat language revitalization movement. Through a unique blend of English and Nawat dialogue, evocative dances, and the potent symbolism of the winter solstice, the play asks: as the longest night unfolds, will the return of light offer salvation, or is the Solstice King's tragic fate, like the solstice night itself, inescapable?