PANCHO VILLA AND THE CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION to Premiere at GALA

GALA Theatre continues its 51st anniversary season with the world premiere of GALita's production for young audiences Pancho Villa y los niños de la bola (Pancho Villa and the Children of the Revolution), a bilingual play by Mexican playwright Antonio Zúñiga, directed by Venezuelan Mauricio Pita, and English translation by Heather McKay. Running October 17 – 31, 2026, at GALA Theatre, this fun-filled play asks a timeless question: Who gets to tell history—and what happens when the story changes with every generation?

Three generations journey back to the Mexican Revolution to resurrect the many faces of Pancho Villa. Through corridos, folklore, oral histories, and vivid reenactments, the past comes alive as history and legend begin to blur. As they retell Villa's story, unexpected details emerge, revealing a revolutionary who understood the power of storytelling—and of shaping his own myth. Blending music, history, and theatrical imagination, Pancho Villa and the Children of the Revolution is a sweeping bilingual journey through memory, myth, and the stories we inherit.

Student matinees for Pancho Villa are scheduled on weekdays from October 19-23 and October 26-29 at 10:30 am. More information can be found on the GALA website under Education. Performances for the general public are on Saturdays, October 17, 24, and 31 at 3 pm. The show is about 60 minutes long and suitable for ages 5 and up!

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Featured in the cast are GALA company member Delbis Cardona (Pancho Villa), who has participated in several GALita and GALA productions, including Garbo: The Actor Who Saved The World this season and Héctor, The Electric Kid last season; Daniela Lock (El joven) and Máximo Cáceres (El Viejo/Roberto), both of whom debuted last season in GALitas's Séneca, The Library Mouse; Nadia Palacios (Ercilia), who appeared in GALA's The Palacios Sisters; Cristina Sánchez (Narrator/Torcuata/Rosa), who has appeared in several GALita productions; and making her GALita debut is Patricia Meneses (El niño/Austreberta/Garrotero).

Scenic Design is by Sophie Smrcka, Lighting Design is by Arthur Kohn, Projections Design is by Zavier Taylor, and Costume Design is by Rukiya Henry-Fields. Lee Martínez is Sound Designer and Properties Design is by Elia Hall. Bayron Celis is Stage Manager and Solis Pettitt is Assistant Stage Manager. Amanda Leyva is Production Manager and Matthew Griffiths is Technical Director.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

Antonio Zúñiga (Playwright) is a Mexican dramaturg, actor, director, and cultural manager. He has written over 50 plays, including 15 plays for young audiences which touch on complicated environments for youth survival. Zúñiga has established himself as a critical figure in contemporary Mexican theater, known for focusing on social realities, immigration, and northern Mexico's complex social landscapes. He founded Alborde Teatro, served as director of Centro Cultural Helénico from 2019 until 2023, has worked closely with the federal Ministry of Culture in public outreach and regional arts distribution (Vinculación Cultural), and currently is General Director of the Centro Nacional de las Artes (CENART). Zúñiga has a bachelor's in Acting from La Casa del Teatro and a degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez.

Mauricio Pita (Director) is proud to return to GALA after directing Héctor, The Electric Kid last season and having previously served as GALA's Director of Education and Paso Nuevo. A stage director, film producer, and performer, Mauricio produced the international Voices of Now Festival at Arena Stage for five seasons, where he devised over a dozen plays including Safe Keeping, produced in partnership with the U.S Embassy in Croatia. Pita has directed and produced for InSeries, GALA Hispanic Theatre, ENOUGH Plays to End Gun Violence, We Happy Few, and The Kennedy Center. As a filmmaker, his debut short film 'Safe Word' became an official selection at Academy Award and Canadian Screen Award qualifying film festivals (Provincetown, InsideOut Toronto). His latest producing endeavor, 'Crystalline,' recently received the Best LGBTQ Film Award at the DC Shorts International Film Festival. As a singer, Pita recently performed with Gloria Trevi, Nathy Peluso, and RaiNao. A Venezuelan native, Mauricio is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College.

TICKETS & GENERAL INFORMATION

General admission tickets for Pancho Villa and the Children of the Revolution are $12 for adults and $10 for children. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit galatheatre.org or call (202) 234-7174.

GALA is at 3333 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20010. The theatre has 4 wheelchair accessible spaces and an elevator to transport people from the entrance to the lobby, and to the house. Parking is available at a $4 flat rate in the Giant garage on Park Road, NW (must validate parking ticket at theatre lobby for discount). GALA is located one block north of the Columbia Heights Metro station (Green/Yellow lines).

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