HOLDEN & ARTS ASSOCIATES
SHARING STORIES AND CREATING PARTNERSHIPS SINCE 1983
CENICIENTA: A BILINGUAL CINDERELLA STORY
Produced by Glass Half Full Theatre
From Austin, TX
Resources
About the Company
Ten-year-old Belinda is a budding poet and loves to tell stories, but when she’s stuck in the basement preparing for a party upstairs that her stepmother and stepsisters will host, she’ll have to get creative. It’s a story within a story; Belinda re-enacts the classic tale of Cinderella through whatever objects are at her disposal: napkins, teapots, and doilies, to name just a few. With these everyday items, a healthy dose of imagination, and a love of poetry passed down by her father, Belinda imagines a bigger world for herself... When she learns that the party's special guest is (real life) writer Gary Soto, Belinda wants desperately to attend the party and share her own writings with Soto. But to do that, she must learn to stand up for herself and take charge of her life and dreams. This captivating bilingual one-woman performance is a modern spin on the beloved fairy tale and tackles cultural heritage, family, and the power of language.
“Cenicienta accomplishes what children’s theatre should at its best: providing an imaginative tale that’s captivating for children and adults alike, while incorporating cultural and educational facets that pique curiosity and invite further investigation"“ - The Austin Chronicle
Glass Half Full Theatre is on the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster, so funding is available for presenters in Mid America (AR, KS, MO, NE, OK) and Texas! Learn more about the Mid America Arts Alliance Regional Touring Program here and the TCA Touring Roster here.
Best for Grades: K-6th
Audience Size: Small to Large Venues
Contact us to preview the full length performance.
Curriculum Connections
-
Fine Arts: Performance, Film, Puppetry
-
Language Arts: Folktales/Fairytales, Poetry (suggested reading: Gary Soto), Spanish, English
-
History/Social Studies: World Culture, Latino heritage
-
Social/Emotional Learning Development: Bravery, Resilience, Imagination, believing in your self, and helping others. Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Self Management, and Relationship Skills.
-
National Core Arts Standards: Th:Cr1.1k-6, Th:Cr1.2k-6, Th:Cr, Th:Re7.1k-6
-
Common Core Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.6, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.3
Outreach & Workshops
Please contact us if additional outreach or workshops is something you'd like to explore. A member of the creative team may be available to deliver a Meet the Artists/Q&A or a hands on workshop for participating audiences, such as:
Object Puppetry Workshop: Learn puppetry skills to bring everyday objects to life.
Whether it’s a spoon, teapot, or spool of tape, each object has its own story. The workshop engages students' empathy, collaboration, and fine motor skills to create original performance stories using objects as puppets.
Max 25 students. 1 hour duration (can be shorter).
Sensory Friendly Performances
This performance is also available as a “sensory friendly” or “relaxed” performance if arranged with the company in advance and with specific direction as to what adjustments are necessary for your venue.
Minimum Tech Specs
-
Load in Time: 4 hours (with prehang)
-
Crew Needs: 2 Stagehands, 1 lighting/Master Electrician, and 1 sound/audio technician for during load in and load out (roles can be combined if applicable.)
-
Minimum Stage Size: Stage depth 15’ by width 13’. Height 12’
-
Load out: 1 hour
Artistic Team
Written by Caroline Reck and Rupert Reyes
Devised in collaboration with Gricelda Silva
Directed by Caroline Reck
Original musical composition by Ammon Taylor
Lighting Design by Rachel Atkinson
Sound Design by Pete Martinez with additional sound and mixing by K. Eliot Haynes
Stage Management by Zac Crofford
Scenic, Costume, and Prop Design by Caroline Reck
Videography by Aaron Mouer
Cenicienta was originally created and presented at Zach Theatre in Austin, Texas, in collaboration with Teatro Vivo and Glass Half Full Theatre. The role of Belinda was originated by Gricelda Silva. The digital version of the production was presented and recorded by The Kennedy Center in January 2021. Belinda has also been performed by Madison Palomo & Sonia Mariah Fonseca for National Tours in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.
Critical Acclaim
The original show won awards for Outstanding Puppetry, Best Actress, Original Score (B. Iden Payne Awards 2015) and Best New Play (Austin Critics Table 2015).
“Cenicienta accomplishes what children’s theatre should at its best: providing an imaginative tale that’s captivating for children and adults alike, while incorporating cultural and educational facets that pique curiosity and invite further investigation. . . . The production is rife with Spanish phrases, but not so many so that nonspeakers would find themselves confused. It perfectly embraces Austin’s Mexican-American culture but also provides an educational outlet for those looking to brush up on their Spanish. . . . The story itself is as entertaining as it is educational. “ - The Austin Chronicle
"With its playful puppetry and poetic spark, Cenicienta is a perfect play for children... its fun (and refreshing in this age of technology) to watch Belinda embrace her creativity without the use of screens... The play's dialogue is a melodious symphony of Spanish and English... this production provides a chance to begin to explore a new lanugage through context clues in the play... The story of Cenicienta isn't like all the others and that's what makes it charming." - Hannah Wing, Broadway World
The wonder of Cenicienta is its ability for audiences to identify with Belinda. It embraces her creativity and her love of reading. It revels in the joy of playing with found objects and creating a story. It teaches lessons in the importance of reading and writing and the importance of being courageous and standing up for yourself as well as loving you you are, but it doesn't hit kids over the head with those lessons" - Austin American Statesman.
....students were fully engageed with Cenicienta throughout, even if they didn't understand one of the languages being spoken. Such moments emphasie the importance of Latinx youth seeing and hearing actors who look and sound like them on stage - such representation is necessary in fostering youth's connection with theatre" - Marci R. McMahon, Howl Round Theatre Commons.
About the Company
Past North American Tours include: Petra & the Wolf, Cenicienta: A Bilingual Cinderella Story (national tours in 2023 and 2024), La Maleta de Maebelle ( Maebelle's Suitecase)
About Glass Half Full Theatre:
Glass Half Full Theatre (Puppetry of Objects & Ideas) innovates performance structure and audience experience with original works featuring both humans and puppets to address complex problems through an optimistic lens. Our bilingual performances spotlight the Latinx community, crossing linguistic and cultural boundaries towards the heart of the imagination, where artists and audiences examine how oppressive power structures work and how they can be overcome.
Glass Half Full Theatre was lauded by the Austin-American Statesman for an “inventive blend of puppetry and physical storytelling that employs gestures and expressions in tandem with props and sets to convey the narrative along with a variety of puppetry techniques.” Based in Austin, Texas, the company creates original works for youth and adults, with a focus on environmental and social justice. They have received B. Iden Payne Awards for Direction, Design, Writing, Acting, Puppetry and Visionary Innovation, and Austin Critics Table Awards for Design, Acting and Best New Play. The company follows the rigorous training of Jacques Lecoq and employs sophisticated puppetry forms such as Tabletop, Shadow Puppetry, Body Puppetry, Hand and Rod, Czech marionette, and Object Puppetry. Their original works, including Petra and the Wolf, Once There Were Six Seasons, and The Orchid Flotilla, have toured nationally. Glass Half Full is known for their “precise, engaging, and humorous” approach to real world issues and imaginative solutions.
For more information, please visit the company’s website here.
Past Productions
