ROCKLAND — Antonio Rocha will bring his unique and award winning fusion of mime and storytelling to the Strand Theatre stage on March 7 and 8, 2025. Rocha will give one performance for adults, and another for children.

On March 7, at 6:30 p.m., Rocha will perform The Malaga Ship: A Story of Maine and the Middle Passage, a story appropriate for adults and children aged 12 and up. The Malaga was a 183-ton brig built in Brunswick, Maine, in a shipyard owned by Joseph Badger in 1832. The ship eventually found herself as part of the already illegal transatlantic trade of African captives to the Americas. 

The Malaga Ship story is a performance from Antonio Rocha, using his entire body and voice, he sings, narrates, and mimes his way through this poetically toned historical tale told mostly from the perspective of the ship. The story vividly explores the reality and impact of the slave industry, which was the largest industry in the world in the 1800s and which connected Malaga to Rio de Janeiro Brazil, where Rocha was raised.

Running time for this performance is 45 minutes, plus a 30-minute talk-back. 

On March 8, at 11 a.m., Rocha presents a story for children ages 4-12 in this Strand Family Series show. Jungle Tales: The Footprint of Kindness draws from his repertoire of folktales with an ecological theme accompanied by a myriad of realistic sound effects, one-of-a-kind movement, and fantastical characters. This environmental presentation teaches kids about the importance of our natural world and how we depend on it for our livelihood.

"Climate change has brought a lot of anxiety to the hearts of youngsters about how their future may be in danger; Rocha has a kindhearted approach to lessen anxieties about the future, while bringing perspective to his listeners about life in the present moment," said a news release.

This performance has a running time of 45 minutes. 

Antonio Rocha (pronounced haw-sha), originally from Brazil, received a Partners of the Americas grant in 1988 to come to the USA to perform and deepen his mime skills with Mime Master Tony Montanaro, and later studied with Master Marcel Marceau. Rocha’s unique and award-winning solo fusion of mime and storytelling with mesmerizing voices and sound effects has been performed from Singapore to South Africa and many places in between A two-time TEDx speaker, Rocha is a proud recipient of the coveted Circle of Excellence Award by the National Storytelling Network, and most recently the 2024 Maine Arts Commission Fellowship for the Performing Arts. 

The Strand Family Series is made possible thanks to its supporting sponsors, the Rockland Harbor Hotel, OUT Maine, and Allen Insurance and Financial, as well as grant funding from Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust and Mattina R. Proctor Foundation. 

Tickets for these shows are sliding scale:  $0-20. To buy tickets, or for more information, visit www.rocklandstrand.com or call (207) 594-0070. 

The Strand Theatre is located at 345 Main Street, Rockland.