It can be fun for kids to dream of a prince or dancing at a beautiful ball, but this Imagination Stage production of “Cinderella” brings the classic Disney tale to life in a way far more kids can relate to in everyday life: like what happens when they meet a new kid at school who does not speak their language?
In this bilingual contemporary adaptation, “Cinderella: A Salsa Fairytale,” families will get perspective from two step-sisters, Cinderella—known in this production as Cenicienta—and Rosa, as they navigate their language barrier. Cenicienta is visiting the United States from Puerto Rico and only speaks Spanish while Rosa only speaks English.
Together, they learn empathy, sportsmanship and respect in a story that culminates in a high-stakes basketball game.
Commissioned by Imagination Stage and originally produced in 2003, the show also has a talented roster attached to it, director Nadia Guevara, the former Director of Arts Engagement & Education at GALA Hispanic Theatre in Washington, D.C., and playwright and composer Karen Zacarias and Deborah Wicks La Puma, respectively—a team that worked together previously on notable projects such as Helen Hayes Award winner “Ella Enchanted” in 2018.
The show will also be open to about 3,000 Montgomery County Public School third graders and teachers from Title I elementary schools for weekday matinees as part of the Learning Through Theatre program, which provides educational materials and professional development to teachers free of charge.
“Cinderella: A Salsa Fairytale” runs throughout March with a final performance on April 7; ages 5+
