The roach leaders of the world are holding a political summit this week at

the Clarence Brown Lab Theatre.

Las Cucarachas, a one-woman show by Isa María Infante,

premieres this week before moving on to stages in Budapest, Hungary and New

York City. Sponsored by the Praxis production collective, the show will be

held at 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 5 through Saturday, April 8. A portion of

the proceeds from the show will be donated to the Sexual Assault Crisis

Center.

Isa Infante wrote, choreographed and plays eight different characters in

the play. Using dance, humor, music, pantomime and puppetry, Infante offers

the audience a story of self-discovery, transformation and the results of

the “journey.”

“All the characters are me,” says Infante, “people I have been in my

life.”

The play, Infante’s first, itself is the result of a therapeutic workshop

process Infante went through with the Sexual Assault Crisis Center. “I

didn’t realize I could write before this,” she says.

Through a mix of personal therapeutic agenda and political message, the

play examines the influence of environment on people’s lives, and how

people return this influence to society. The question is asked, “Where does

political power come from– inside or outside?”

“It’s a little bit funny, a little bit sad,” says Infante.

After this week’s run in the Lab Theatre, Infante will take her show to

Budapest, Hungary, where she will perform at R.S. 9 Stúdiószínhás on May 17

and 18. In June, she will perform at the appropriately titled Cucaracha

Theatre in New York City.

Admission for this week’s performances is $8 for general audience and $6

for students and seniors. Tickets will be available at the door or at the

Sexual Assault Crisis Center at 558-9040.