From the Page to the Stage: The Making of Pancho Rabbit & the Coyote

Jessica Rosa Espinoza, playwright/ lyricist, is honored to premiere the musical adaptation of the picture book Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote by Duncan Tonatiuh on the Center for Puppetry Arts stage. Other writing credits include the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s family and school concert scripts and a library of elementary musicals for youth performers. Driven by her deep-rooted passion for art experiences that create community, she founded Partner Learning which specializes in arts-in-education partnerships with various metro arts organizations and school districts. Pulling from her experiences as both an artist and educator, Jessica trains in-service teachers on integrating the arts into their classroom practice. She also is a university professor teaching graduate education courses in K-12 curriculum. Jessica dedicates this production to all the teachers who inspire our children through their brave storytelling of stories such as this one we share onstage.

Jason Hines joined the Center for Puppetry Arts’ as the Resident Puppet Builder in 2002. Since joining the team Jason has designed and built puppets for many Center productions such as; Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat, Stellaluna, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Pete the Cat, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, Anne Frank: Within and Without, Ruth and the Green Book, Duke Ellington’s Cat, The Little Pirate Mermaid, Cinderella Della Circus, Old MacDonald’s Farm, The Tortoise and the Hare, The Ugly Duckling. Jason is also the co-developer and performer in the Center’s acclaimed productions The Ghastly Dreadfuls and Avanti, Da Vinci! The Secret Adventures of Leonardo da Vinci.

Most recently, Jason wrote, designed, and directed the award-winning show Tesla vs. Edison.

In addition to his work at the Center, Jason has worked on several TV shows and films. He was a puppet captain on the BBC’s puppet TV series Moon and Me. He had the opportunity to be a robot puppeteer in the motion picture Escape Plan 2: Hades. He has designed and built puppets for Alton Brown’s Good Eats Reloaded and Adult Swim.

Around the Atlanta area, Jason recently designed and built puppets for The Atlanta Opera’s production of The Three Penny Opera. Regional theatres: Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre including The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella and Fella, Shrek the Musical, Tuck Everlasting, James and the Giant Peach, and Knuffle Bunny, a Cautionary Tale. Kentucky’s Actors Theater production of Louisville Shipwrecked! Jason directed Clash Titan Clash, Scarlet’s Web and created the Super Villain Monologues in conjunction with Atlanta’s Dad’s Garage Theatre Company.In his spare time Jason is an avid puppet slam performer, is continually exploring 3D Printing and CNC routing, is a collector of movies, CD’s, Vinyl and books, loves soldering and electronics for modular synthesizers and building robots, building and collecting musical instruments. Recently, Jason has started flying lessons and is building an airplane of his own.

Duncan Tonatiuh is an award-winning author-illustrator whose accolades include the Pura Belpré Medal, the Robert F. Sibert Medal, and the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award. He is both Mexican and American. He grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and graduated from Parsons School of Design and Eugene Lang College in New York City. His artwork is inspired by Mesoamerican art, particularly that of the Mixtec codices. He aims to create images and stories that honor the past while staying relevant to modern audiences.