Some carry the island on their shoulders, going everywhere with the cracks of their childhood like a ray of salvation.
Some carry a puppet in their right hand and a clown in their heart.
Some came from Cañada Honda or Bayamo to heal us from the loneliness or violence of a marginalized neighborhood.
Some people carry their muse on their backs, their puppet theater showing Pinocchio in the play "Don't Let Him Fall." And their challenge is fighting drugs. In the La Guinera neighborhood of Arroyo Naranjo, María de los Ángeles Pérez González and her husband, Bartolo Aguilera, have their theater group, Buenaventura, part of Itinerante Habana, the performing arts council of Havana.
The artists' repertoire includes works by the magician of the traveling cart, "La Andariega," the Argentinian Javier Villafañe. The children of La Guinera, where the artists are based, are delighted by the plays "El pícaro burlado" (The Tricked Rogue) and "El caballero de la mano de fuego" (The Knight with the Fiery Hand). This summer, they will open the "Buenaventura Boulevard" thanks to the support of Miguel Avila, president of the local council. In 2008, the artists participated in the "Cultura Corazón Adentro" (Culture from the Heart) mission, promoted by Chávez and Fidel. And María, during her visits to her beloved home, has performed for the children of Jagueyes and Cañada Honda with the same passion she shares with Mijain López in the "El campeón de Cuba" (The Champion of Cuba) project at the magic park in Mantilla.
Buenaventura has a daughter in María de los Ángeles, who honors the city with her theater group on the boulevard, where children will reign supreme.
