The Festival will share five TYA plays from the US and Latin America with children from throughout Central Texas, with daytime performances for schools, and additional performances open to the public. A concurrent LTC Convening will also gather artists, scholars, and educators from across the Americas to experience theatre with young people, and consider the needs and incredible capacities of our future audiences and theatre artists, through workshops, panels, discussions, and art-making events. This is the first convening of the LTC dedicated to theatre work for young people. The event will take place at the University of Texas at Austin, and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center.

The featured plays and theatre companies at the Festival are:

Niños Que Fueron Grandes, La Negra María Teatro (Santiago, Chile)
By La Negra María Teatro
Directed by Nicolás Valiente Blamey
Jan 23, 7:00 PM

We travel with four actors to recreate and imagine episodes of the childhoods of three Chilean teachers: Baldomero Lillo, Gabriela Mistral, and Manuel Rojas. Puppets and found-objects create the world of the play onstage before our eyes, making it easily accessible for English-speaking audiences. This production features original music. (Spanish)

Cenicienta, Teatro Vivo and Glass Half Full Theatre (Austin, TX, USA)
by Caroline Reck and Rupert Reyes
Directed by Caroline Reck
Jan 23, 7:30 PM

Created in collaboration with Glass Half Full Theatre, Teatro Vivo, and ZACH Theatre, Cenicienta is an original bilingual stage adaptation of Cinderella. In this version, told through found-object puppetry, Cenicienta overcomes her stepfamily’s bullying on her own terms. Bilingual (English/Spanish)

Epic Tales from the Land of Melanin, FEMelanin Collective, (Chicago, IL, USA)
Originally devised by Guadalís Del Carmen, Mariana Green, Brandi Lee, Maya Mackrandilal, Enid Muñoz, Alyssa Vera Ramos, Deanalís Resto, Ana Velazquez, and Teresa Zorić

Directed by Alyssa Vera Ramos
Jan 25, 4:30 PM

Based on histories of real-life women of color and non-Eurocentric fairytales, Epic Tales from the Land of Melanin is an imaginative adventure tale of three young warrior-explorers taking on the world. Through audience participation, young audiences will help the heroes defeat evil forces while building community. Bilingual (English/Spanish)

Coatlicue 2.0: La diosa que vino del aire, Compañía TraZmallo Ixinti (México City, México)
by Daniel Loyola
Directed by Leonardo Villa
Jan 25, 7:00 PM

Through dance, music, mask and clown technique, Coatlicue 2.0 is a solo creation story of how the Aztec world came to be. We learn about legendary Aztec figures, such as Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Coatlicue herself, the Aztec goddess who gave birth to the cosmos. Bilingual (Nahuatl/Spanish)

Tomás and the Library Lady, Childsplay (Tucson, AZ, USA)
Book, Music, and Lyrics by José Cruz González
Music Arranged and Performed by Adam Jacobson
Directed by David Saar
January 26, 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM

Based on the true story of Tomás Rivera and the book by Pat Mora, this play takes us on a journey with Tomás, the son of migrant farm workers. When Tomás meets the “Library Lady,” she recognizes his love of stories and encourages him to become a reader. This play explores literacy, migration, and self-esteem, all through music and storytelling. Bilingual (English/Spanish)