Pedro and the War: A Cantata

Pedro and the War: A Cantata transports young audiences to a world in which young people negotiate with war in order to grow up. When the village learns that their country is at war, the villagers first continue with their daily routines in spite of the war planes passing overhead. The children play fútbol, pull ponytails, attend school, pick tomates and help their parents raise ovejas (sheep). After a bombing raid that destroys the only school, a frightened Pedro finds himself trapped in the rubble with an elderly neighbor, Don José. Through a tender exchange of stories with Don José, Pedro learns about the resiliency of the human spirit and the power of imagination to restore and sustain humanity even in times of crisis. When Pedro awakes in the hospital, he searches high and low for Don José, but he doesn't find him. Was Don José really there? Did he imagine the stories underground? Did he dream the entire poignant exchange? The play artistically peppers in Spanish language from a variety of countries and pan-Latin traditions in order to establish a realistic, yet highly theatrical setting where kids and adults alike learn that even in the horrors of war, the human imagination is a powerful tool for both physical and psychological survival. The unscored songs and loose stage directions offer much creative freedom for a tight ensemble cast.