Program Description
Event Details
Cuentos From The Americas is a bilingual, Spanish & English, journey of stories for all ages from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean Islands, as well as personal stories from Jasmin’s experience of being stuck in between her identities as un Colombiana and an American. The stories are a mix of ancient legends, myths, folktales, and a personal story of being bicultural. Using participatory elements of song, music, and dance listeners will be on their feet by the end learning how to Latin dance!
About the storyteller
Jasmin Cardenas is a bridge builder and believes in the power of stories to unite us. She has told stories to thousands of children, families, and adult audiences all over the Chicagoland area in early childhood centers, schools, libraries, universities, street festivals, bars, cafes, and storytelling festivals. Summer of 2022 she toured 20 branches across the Chicago Public Libraries as a featured City of Stories workshop presenter encouraging Chicagoans of all ages to tell their stories through theater techniques. Check out her latest project, a children’s book adaptation in collaboration with The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Children’s Theater. Jasmin is the Adaptor and Bilingual Narrator of Maybe Something Beautiful, a new puppet film for children, a story of how art transforms a neighborhood. In September 2022, Jasmin performed at the Mitambo Theater Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe, and Johannesburg, South Africa with her newest solo show DISPOSABLE. Jasmin was selected by UNESCO as the U.S. representative on 2022 World Theater Day, she gave the U.S Emergent Artist Message. An international 2020-2022 LAB Fellow of Georgetown University’s Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, Jasmin recognizes the social impact of this work. Making her joyful national debut at the 2016 National Storytelling Festival Exchange Place stage. One of the first Latina’s to receive The Race Bridges Storytelling Fellowship, Jasmin uses storytelling and theater to pursue justice and humanity. She launched the bilingual Cuentos Aqui Storytelling literacy program for the Chicago Public Libraries and was the original KOHL/McCormick StoryBUS Teller. A 2nd Storyteller, her adult stories are available on podcast. A professional actress, director, writer, and Chicago native, Jasmin has performed at Steppenwolf, Goodman Theater and Adventure Stage Chicago, among others. Her one-woman show Niña Buena toured throughout Chicago and to an international festival in Mexico. Currently, Jasmin is focused on working-class stories with her collective The Workers’ Theater, made up of low-wage workers here in America.