La leyenda del Cemí

Rosa Luisa Márquez (www.marquezmartorell.org) is a Puerto Rican theater artist and pedagogue; she specializes in contemporary theater. Rosa Luisa started her teaching career at the theater department of the University of Puerto Rico in 1978. She developed the current curriculum of Drama Activities, which she teaches in her workshops at schools, prisons, rehab centers, women's shelters and community centers. Her directing projects include 'Romeo(s) y Julieta(s), ' 'Historias para ser Contadas, ' 'La Leyenda del Cemí, ' 'Procesión, ' 'Waiting for Godot, ' 'Jardín de Pulpos, ' 'Absurdos en Soledad, ' 'El León y la Joya, ' among others. Published books include 'Brincos y saltos: el juego como disciplina teatral' and 'Historias para ser contadas, montaje de Rosa Luisa Márquez.' She is a member of the board of directors and pedagogical team for the EITALC's International School of Latin American and Caribbean Theater. Ongoing artistic collaborators include Gilda Navarra and Antonio Martorell (Puerto Rico), Grupo Malayerba (Ecuador), Grupo Yuyachkani (Peru), and directors Peter Shumann (Bread & Puppet Theater, U.S.A.) and Augusto Boal (Theater of the Oppressed, Brazil). In conjunction with visual artist Antonio Martorell, she created the concept of 'Teatreros Ambulantes' (Itinerant Performers, 1987-1990), resulting in twelve productions. 'La Leyenda del Cemí' was created by Márquez in collaboration with Puerto Rican artist Oscar Mestey as a final project with her students of the course 'Drama Activities' at the University of Puerto Rico. Based on the eponymous story by writer Kalman Barsy, the piece tells a mythical account of the birth of the island of Puerto Rico. Indigenous Taíno iconography, performing objects made of everyday artifacts, experimental storytelling, live music and infectious Caribbean rhythms create a submarine world where sea creatures join together to reshape the Earth, fulfilling an island's secret dream. This piece consolidated the group of students who later became the Teatreros Ambulantes. Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics