¡Quijóteres! (2023)
The award-winning, bilingual, shadow puppet adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes’ lovable lunatic, Don Quijote de La Mancha.
Winner of the 2024 Walker Reid Comedia Performance Prize, from the Association for Hispanic Classical Theatre.
Jinxed (2023)
Lovesick Toribio uses a magic spell to assist his romantic efforts, but when the enchantment falls into the wrong hands—again and again!—he’ll regret taking shortcuts to love.
Based on the 17th-century “entremés” El bobo enamorado (also known as Los putos), by Spanish playwright Jerónimo de Cáncer.
MacGhost (2023)
Produced in collaboration with the Wayne Theatre (Waynesboro, VA), a 30-minute shadow puppet adaptation of Shakespeare’s creepiest tragedy, Macbeth.
The Land of Jauja (2022)
Every day the gullible Mendrugo brings a basket of food to his wife in jail, but when two hungry con artists distract him with fanciful tales of a magical land plenty he quickly discovers that his goodies are gone!
Based on the 16th-century “paso” La tierra de Jauja, by Spanish playwright Lope de Rueda.
Copy Cat (2021)
An easy-to-assemble cloning machine arrives in the mail—what’s the worst that can happen? Thanks to one curious cat, things quickly get out of hand!
Café Dynamite (2020)
Welcome to a restaurant where the only thing on the menu is disaster!
This original and unusual piece invites a few brave audience members into the Dragoncillo kitchen to see first-hand how shadow puppets are used.
Me, Myself, Awry (2020)
A multi-faceted, interactive, and educational performance featuring an introduction to the art of shadow puppetry, and the audience-involved show, “Cafe Dynamite,” plus Dragoncillo’s bilingual shadow puppet plays inspired by the entremeses of Francisco de Quevedo and Juan Rana.
Second Hands and The Ladies’ Man (2019)
A self-described “ropavejera de la vida” operates a peculiar shop where, instead of second-hand apparel, customers purchase actual second hands in an effort to upgrade their aging features.
Meanwhile, when Constanzo is summoned to his bedroom window at night by three women professing their love he tries unsuccessfully to send them away.
Dragoncillo’s innovative use of shadow puppetry offers an energetic, cartoon-inspired take on two plays (La ropavejera, and El Marión), by 17th-century writer, Francisco de Quevedo.
The Fabulous Johnny Frog
(2018)
Heroic. Brilliant. Tenacious. Johnny Frog is none of these things. Tossed around in a world of calamities and contradictions the hapless Johnny Frog is a simple man, a cowardly man, hungrier for a sandwich than for adventure. He’s the mayor of his village but most of the time he has no idea what’s going on around him. Why, for example, will he die if he smells his favorite foods? How did he get challenged to a duel? And probably most perplexing, how is it possible that he, a man, is pregnant?
This entertaining presentation uses innovative shadow puppetry to introduce young audiences to seventeenth century Spanish theatre and a play format known as the entremés, featuring Spain’s most celebrated stage buffoon, Juan Rana: the Fabulous Johnny Frog!
¡Quijóteres! (2014)
A bilingual puppet-show adaptation of the classic adventures of Don Quijote by Miguel de Cervantes. Written, directed, and designed by Jason Yancey, featuring “muppet-style” wide-mouth puppets and performances by undergraduate students from Grand Valley State University.
Short Films
Simple puppet shows on random subjects. Enjoy these performances by the Dragoncillo family!
Coming soon—new dragoncillo shows!
Comedia Famosa
(in development)
The “newly discovered” play that seventeenth-century Spain’s greatest playwrights—Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Augustín Moreto, Juan Ruíz de Alarcón— never intended to write.
Stay tuned for updates!