La Turista

Synopsis

A squalid hotel room in Mexico, 1967. Two American tourists lie bedridden, their bodies and minds unravelling

Kent and Salem are a bedridden couple grappling with traveller’s diarrhoea (la turista) in Mexico. As they writhe in physical discomfort, their psychological and cultural malaise comes to the fore, exposing the rot beneath the veneer of American identity. The play’s shift from a Mexican hotel to an American hospital room in the second act amplifies the absurdity and alienation of their experience, serving as a stark metaphor for the spiritual sickness plaguing 1960s America.

Shepard’s avant-garde style shines through in the play’s non-linear narrative and fragmented structure. The dialogue, rich with free association and non sequiturs, creates a disorienting atmosphere that mirrors the characters’ internal chaos. Through this surreal lens, La Turista examines themes of cultural disintegration, identity crisis, and the American experience abroad. The looming spectre of the Vietnam War adds a subtle layer of political commentary to the personal struggles of Kent and Salem.