A Cast of Four to Bring a Bilingual Fairytale Production to Pinellas Schools

For many Pinellas K-5 students, Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans: A Salsa Fairytale may be the first theatre production they experience, and the cast and creative team is making sure it's one to remember.

American Stage is touring the Pinellas County School District to bring this modern-day cultural fairytale to both public and private schools, beginning the week of October 17.

"The idea is to reach as many young people as possible, young people who will hopefully be inspired by art and in some cases, a story that looks more like their life than the average fairytale you see on TV," director José Avilés said. "It's not every day that an elementary school aged student enjoys live theatre, and I hope they put a little piece of themselves into it."

In rehearsals, Avilés has his hands full putting on this inclusive, contemporary production for audiences made up of up to 200 elementary-grade students. In lieu of putting on a show where a classically-portrayed Cinderella tells a tale of meeting a prince, this story follows a Puerto-Rican Cinderella (Cenicienta) who is playing in a basketball game.

"It's great to see a different spice with Cinderella, this Cinderella comes from Puerto Rico and this fairytale has a Spanish bite," said Maria Larga, the 19-year-old actress playing Cinderella.

The show also marks the first in-person American Stage School Tour since the pandemic in 2020. Tour manager and Tampa performer Brandon Rodriguez will celebrate that fact by loading up a van with the four actors and bringing the magic of this Latin-American play to different schools each week.

"I am truly thrilled to spread performing arts not only into the community but to the younger generation," said Rodriguez." He also worked as a member of the ensemble on American Stage's last Mainstage production, Green Day's American Idiot.

Though the school tour will consist of mainly Pinellas County schools,
Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans: A Salsa Fairytale will appear on American Stage's Mainstage on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 11 a.m., and Sunday, Dec. 4 at 1 p.m.

See it at Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St., Tampa. Dec. 5-6 at 10 a.m