The presentation took place this Saturday at the Puppet Tent on Moret Street in Zaragoza, where Teatro Arbolé has faithfully attended the Fiestas del Pilar for 30 years. The new figure was made in the company’s workshop through an artisanal process involving clay modeling, plaster casting and fallas-style papier-mâché. The result is a 70-centimeter-tall cabezudo, topped by its characteristic funnel-shaped hat, which adds another 40 centimeters.
FROM THE STAGE TO THE STREETS: WHO IS PELEGRÍN?
Pelegrín has been winning over children for 43 years, ever since he starred in his first play on April 24, 1983, in Tauste. Since then, this peculiar knight-errant, adventurous, mischievous and somewhat clumsy, has appeared in more than 6,700 performances and starred in 19 Teatro Arbolé productions. His adventures have crossed borders and reached countries including Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Cuba.
The character has become a true symbol of the Zaragoza-based company. Three years ago, to mark his 40th anniversary, a comic book dedicated to his story was published. He also lends his name to an award recognizing commitment to children’s theater. This autumn, Pelegrín will return to the stage in a new production, 'The Legend of the Enchanted Mountain,' proving that he still has many stories left to tell.
Pelegrín has been winning over children for 43 years, ever since he starred in his first play. Photo: Teatro Arbolé
TEATRO ARBOLÉ: HALF A CENTURY OF MAKING ZARAGOZA’S CHILDREN DREAM
Behind Pelegrín is Teatro Arbolé, a company founded in Zaragoza in 1979 that celebrates 47 years of history this year. Over the decades, it has staged more than 16,000 performances in over 1,200 locations around the world, bringing puppet theater from Aragón to Latin America, Europe and Asia. Its repertoire includes more than 60 productions, virtually all aimed at children and families.
Since 2008, the company has been based in Zaragoza’s Luis Buñuel Water Park, where it continues bringing the performing arts closer to children through shows, school programs and its Theater School. Now, with the arrival of Pelegrín’s new cabezudo, Teatro Arbolé is paying tribute to a character that forms part of the childhood of several generations of Zaragoza residents. Because some characters never go out of fashion, and Pelegrín, after 43 years, still has many stories to tell.
