Señora Tortuga

Roxanne Schroeder-Arce’s
Señora Tortuga

Lexington Children’s Theatre
Lexington, KY

January 2015

Directed by Adalhí Aranda–Corn
Scenic Design by Josafath Reynoso
Costume Design by Eric Abele
Lighting Design by Tyler Rowe
Stage Manager: Jessica Olcott

Produced by Lexington Children’s Theatre

Photo Credit: Josafath Reynoso

A celebration of the assimilation of two cultures and languages, this English/Spanish bilingual play uses the wisdom tales of the Mexican culture to give hope to a family faced with too much reality. Young Pedro and his family make their home in a barn on the Mexican border. Pedro complains of having nothing and brings his mother many headaches. On one occasion, she invites a hungry woman to share the family dinner. But this Señora returns time and again to eat and tell fantastical stories of the enchanted serpent and Cucuy of Mexican legend, filling Pedro’s nights with heroic, yet frightening dreams. Surprisingly, Pedro is learning from these wisdom tales, but his mother is suspicious of the Señora until it is revealed that Señora Tortuga holds the thread that ties their past dreams to their future.