Center for Puppetry Arts’ Latine rock musical ‘La Cucarachita Martina’ is a lesson in inclusivity

Puppetry is a globally diverse art form, taking inspiration from countless cultures and histories around the world. This year, the Center for Puppetry Arts is taking the opportunity to showcase that diversity with La Cucarachita Martina, a Latine rock ‘n’ roll musical running October 2 through October 12 in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Based on the Cuban and Puerto Rican folk tale, La Cucarachita Martina will blend English and Spanish in the performance, providing audiences with a multicultural experience.

The production was conceived and created by Teatro SEA, a theater company with offices in New York, San Juan and Florida that aims to use the arts to champion the education of Latine communities. The nation’s only dedicated bilingual Latine children’s theater, Teatro SEA has produced work all over the nation since 1985. 

Meanwhile, at the Center for Puppetry Arts, education has long been a major focus, and it’s necessary that programming speak not just to the diverse nature of puppetry but of Atlanta audiences. La Cucarachita Martina represents a strong step in expanding the accessibility and the cultural inclusivity. 

The story is that of a young cockroach named Martina who sets out to find someone to marry and, in the process, learns what qualities one should look for in a true love. The story originated in the 19th century but has since been retold countless times throughout the years by various Spanish-speaking children’s authors. This traveling production was conceived in the late 1990s by Teatro SEA founder Dr. Manuel A. Morán.

“While working with Puerto Rican and Latine communities, I became familiar with the legacy of Pura Belpré, who had passed away shortly before my arrival but whose work — especially stories like Juan Bobo and Cucarachita Martina — had deeply influenced Puerto Rican cultural storytelling.”

Morán worked with multiple different versions of the story while infusing his production with his own musical and theatrical sensibilities. “Given that there are many versions of Cucarachita Martina from Puerto Rico, Latin America, Africa, Europe and India, I adapted the story from the version I knew, combined [it] with Pura Belpré’s published retelling and reimagined it for a modern audience as a Latine rock ‘n’ roll musical.”

The result is a five-person production that blends multiple forms of puppetry, including rod puppetry, bunraku, glow-in-the-dark and shadow puppets, among others, all designed by José A. López. The dialogue is roughly 60% English and 40% Spanish, often with one character rephrasing information another character just said in a different language. This approach can be challenging, according to Morán, and any translated information is delivered in a slightly different way so as to avoid repetition. “We want audiences to understand the story without making it repetitive. We also invited monolingual audiences to test the flow,” he said. “Over many years, this approach has proven successful.”

Such innovations serve to further Teatro SEA’s core goal of championing bilingual Latine theater, a goal shared by the Center for Puppetry Arts. According to Executive Director Tim Sweeney, the Center is introducing Spanish language guides for many of its museum exhibits, some of which will be permanently available going forward, as well as Spanish instructions for their Create-a-Puppet workshop. They’ll also be collaborating with the Fernbank Museum of Natural History on opening night for a hands-on, educational activity to complement the production. And the final two performances of La Cucarachita Martina on October 12 will be performed entirely in Spanish.

When asked about the story’s themes and why it resonates with so many audiences and readers, Morán said that “Above all, the show conveys love, friendship and respect, which are central to the story and its enduring appeal across generations.” 

“An essential takeaway is believing in yourself and knowing the value of your own worth,” Sweeney added. 

Where & When

La Cucarachita Martina is at the Center for Puppetry Arts October 2 through October 12. Tickets, $25 for adults.
1404 Spring St. NW.

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Luke Evans is an Atlanta-based writer, critic and dramaturg. He covers theater for ArtsATL and Broadway World Atlanta and has worked with theaters such as the Alliance, Actor’s Express, Out Front Theatre and Woodstock Arts. He’s a graduate of Oglethorpe University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, and the University of Houston, where he earned his master’s.