New Tampa Players
Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Pinata Woman, and Other Superhero Girls Like Me
By Luis Alfaro
Produced with special arrangement from Playscripts
Welcome to Uptown Stage!
Please silence your cell phones.
There is no intermission during this performance.
Please wear a face mask while inside Uptown Stage.
Produced with the Generous Support of
The Cast :
Ciara Colon as Sylvia
Samantha Colon as Raquel
Daniela Silva as Monica
Bella Zicchino as Jasmine
Ciara Colon as Sylvia
Ciara Colón is a 15 year old homeschool Junior, who loves to sing, bake, and read. She has sung in various choirs and bands, and loves making her own music. She is also enrolled at PHSC as a Dual Enrolled student, and is hoping to graduate from high school with her Associates degree. This is her first show and she is very excited to represent her LatinX community in a creative way.
Samantha Colon as Raquel
Samantha Colón is an 18 year old homeschool Senior from Wesley Chapel. She has a passion for musical theatre but also loves reading, fashion and art. Some of Sammy’s favorite roles she’s played include: Kim MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie, and The Baroness Elsa Schraeder in The Sound of Music. Sammy took 3rd place in her category at the 2019 Spotlight on Talent, with The Heritage Arts Association. She has also sung in various church choirs and bands throughout the years. Sammy is happy to now be playing the role of Raquel in Black Butterfly. She is grateful to be part of a show that highlights hispanic girls like herself and hopes that people will be moved by the performances they see.
Daniela Silva as Monica
Daniela Silva is a 12 year old Hispanic in 7th grade. She is taking on the role of Monica in this play. This is Daniela's second play. Her first play before Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Piñata Woman, and other Superhero Girls Like Me was Peter Pan Jr. with the Penguin Project. Along with this play she is also preparing for her third performance, Mary Poppins, with the Penguin Project.
Bella Zicchino as Jasmine
Bella is a 13 year old girl with a love for acting. She has been acting for a long time, having lots of fun along the way. She enjoys drawing, writing stories,and listening to music. She would like to thank her family for helping her get to rehearsal and practice her lines, her fellow actors for putting in all the work it takes to put on a show, and she would like to thank her wonderful director Eboni and her great stage manager Abney.
Eboni Graham, Director
I recently finished directing one of the plays in the One Act Festival with Carrollwood Player’s this past summer 2021. The production won the Best Production of The Year (in Person) for Broadway World Tampa’s Regional Awards for 2021. I was so happy to be apart of and even more excited on this the journey of working with New Tampa Players with Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Pinata Woman, and Other Superhero Girls Like Me in January. My background is in film and theatre for the last 10+ years but theatre will always be home!
Production Team
Director: Eboni Graham
Choreographer: Camille Ruiz
Stage Manager: Abney Henderson
Backstage Crew:
Karyn Colon
Ashley Collins
Roe Peterson
Lights:
Lighting Design: Josh Eberhart
Lighting Technician: Todd Weiner
Sound Design: Blaise
Sound Technician: Eboni Graham
Props: Andi Laaker
Dancers from ON YOUR FEET program of Tampa City Ballet
A Note from the Director:
Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Pinata Woman and Other Superhero Girls Like Me is a mouthful to say but has such a dynamic message. Girl power would be an understatement. This play takes you on a journey from innocents to an awakening through the eyes of a school project from girls that could be your own daughters, nieces, friend or reminisce of yourself while showcasing the Latin culture in East LA. I mean, East Los, is what the girls tell me.
The stories of our own adolescent will be on display as we see when we tried to understand the opposite sex, tried to understand our bodies or the conflicts we had with our mothers. The “Aha” moments when we hear 13 year olds ask questions we already know the answer to will makes us look at how far we have come and appreciate the own black butterfly we have in our lives.
We all share the same story no matter our background and are reminded how we all have a little Super hero girl inside of us.
My hope is this play gives you nostalgia or opens up a conversation with the special young lady in your life that may not have been apparent before.
Thank you to New Tampa Player’s for trusting me with this amazing play, Tampa Bay City Ballet’s partnership and dancers, all the staff for their hard work and diligence, the volunteers for their hard work and especially the parents! The parents of the cast who take their kids to shows, see their kids shows, support their kid’s love for theatre and the theatre community they’re in, who understand when theatre becomes an educational pursuit, passion and profession and for allowing us to share your family.
-Eboni Graham
Thank you to all of our volunteers who have worked so hard to make this production of Black Butterfly possible.
Todd Wiener
Craig Hartfield
Andi Laaker
Hillsborough County Fire Department
Tampa City Ballet
Support Live Theatre
Thank you so much for supporting New Tampa Players, the arts, and live theatre through your presence tonight. As NTP reopens and recovers from COVID, your financial support is crucial. With reduced seating, your support can help bridge the gap between ticket sales and operating and production expenses, keeping us financially healthy and able to provide diverse and accessible performing arts opportunities.
About Uptown Stage
Welcome to Uptown Stage, New Tampa Player’s new space! For your safety and the safety of those around you, please wear a mask while you are inside Uptown Stage. Restrooms are located in the main mall near Burlington Coat Factory. Maps are provided at the front of the theater.
Thank you so much for supporting New Tampa Players and live performance!
Our Next Production
Puffs
By Matt Cox
For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs… who just happened to be there too. A tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world.
Puffs is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed or endorsed by J.K Rowling, Warner Bros. or any person or company associated with the Harry Potter books, films or play.