The National Children's Theater of Cuba- East Bay Performance

In a rare U.S. appearance, La Colmenita, an internationally acclaimed Cuban children's theater group and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, will bring its high-energy and entertaining mix of rock and roll, fairy tales andjustice to Washington, New York and San Francisco Oct. 14 -29th, 2011.

Since its formation in 1990, La Colmenita, which translates to The Little Beehive,has grown into one of the world's most acclaimed children's theater companies, charming audiences in more than 25 countries with its ever-changing repertoire.

The October tour, sponsored by the New York-based Gilbert Brownstone Foundation, will introduce some of Cuba's most talented children to an American audience that has, in spite of the decades-long U.S. embargo -- enthusiastically embraced Cuban culture, from the music of Silvio Rodriguez and Los Van Van to the artistry of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba.

Founder and director Carlos Alberto Cremata, known as Papa Tim to his theatrical family, hopes their productions will build greater understanding between two countries whose people have been divided by politics for too long.

"All of the world's children belong to La Colmenita," said Cremata, whose work has won numerous awards and spawned dozens of "beehives" in other countries, including Venezuela, Columbia, Argentina and Mexico. In 2007, La Colmenita became the world's first theatrical group to be named a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nation's children's organization. Its fans include Danny Glover, Vanessa Redgrave, Jackson Browne and Patch Adams.

Cremata comes from a famous Cuban artistic family. His mother, Iraida Malberti, directed children's TV programs, and his brother, Juan Carlos Cremata, is a noted film director. His father, an airline worker, was killed in the 1976 bombing of a Cubana Airlines flight by anti-Castro Cuban exiles.

La Colmenita draws on the strength of Cuba's art, its history and the talent of its young performers. Their productions are often based on familiar fairy tales and music, but with a creative Cuban twist. In Abracadabra,the group touches on the U.S.-Cuban relationship. The play written by children, is about a teacher who invites her students on a journey in search of truth and justice.

This is La Colmenita's second visit to the United States.The tour starts Oct. 14 in Washington D.C. with performances at several locations, including the American Indian Museum.From there, the group moves to New York, where it will be performing at Hostos College and a location in Harlem. The final stop will be in northern California's Bay Area with performances at the Richmond Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 26th and Fort Mason in San Francisco on Oct. 28 and 29th.

For more information visit http://www.lacolmenitacuba.com.
For media inquiries: Karen Lowe, 818-521-0310 or karen.lowe [at] earthlink.net
For Bay Area performance information: Alicia Jrapko, 510-219-0092 or ajrapko [at] yahoo.com
For Fort Mason online ticket sales: http://lacolmenita.eventbrite.com