Carlitos and the Magic Garden will debut in February 2008, as the first traveling bilingual theater production created by Tania Padilla and ArtsChange. The show is a 20 minute imaginative tale of a junk food craving little marionette boy who discovers the benefits of garden, friends and his grandma's chicken soup, a crafted story with artistry and clear social messaging: eat home-cooked meals and fruits and vegetables instead of fast foods, soda and sweets; children, like plants, need a healthy peaceful environment to grow in all accompanied by fiddle, accordion and saw!

This show is being built for children age 3-7 but will include live music, trick marionettes and a junk food monster to engage all ages, and will begin travel to preschools, schools, WIC offices and community gatherings in some of the most stressed neighborhoods in Richmond and Oakland in 2008. A body of filmed puppetry work, workshops, and puppet-making kits will be available in Spring 2008. The first public performance will be the Oakland Museum of Children's Art in March 2008 -- stay tuned for details!