Teatro Vivo, the Latinx Theatre Commons, and the University of Texas at Austin, proudly present the 2019 Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) Sin Fronteras Festival and Convening. 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.

The festival and convening will take place at the University of Texas at Austin, and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center.

From L to R, top to bottom: Niños Que Fueron Grandes, Tomás and the Library Lady, Cenicienta, Epic Tales from the Land of Melanin, Coatlicue 2.0 “La Diosa Que Vino del Aire”

FEATURING:

Niños Que Fueron Grandes, La Negra María Teatro (Santiago, Chile)
By La Negra María Teatro
Directed by Nicolás Valiente Blamey

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)
Recommended age: 4 to 10

Cenicienta, Teatro Vivo and Glass Half Full Theatre (Austin, TX, USA)
by Caroline Reck and Rupert Reyes
Directed by Caroline Reck

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)
Recommended age: 4 and up

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 with FEMelanin
Directed by Alyssa Vera Ramos

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)
Recommended age 12 and up

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

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)
Recommended age 8 and up

Tomás and the Library Lady, Childsplay (Tempe, AZ, USA)
Book, Music, and Lyrics by José Cruz González
Music Arranged and Performed by Adam Jacobson
Directed by David Saar

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)
Recommended age 5 and up

Adapted from the book “Tomás and the Library Lady” by Pat Mora, illustrated by Raul Colón. Published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.  

This project is made possible with the generous support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, HowlRound Theatre Commons, Emerson College, Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, Texas Performing Arts, Childrens Theatre Foundation of America, University of Texas Theatre and Dance, Center for Mexican American Studies, Texas Cultural Trust, Center for Educator Development in the Fine Arts, ZACH Theatre, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, The City of Austin Cultural Arts Division, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.