Arca Images 25th Anniversary season begins with Sergio Blanco’s “KASSANDRA“, plus special performances of “Memento Mori” October 16-26, 2025 at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center.
Sergio Blanco, the award-winning playwright from Uruguay, returns to Miami for two special theatrical events, produced by one of South Florida’s leading Hispanic theater companies, Arca Images. Launching the company’s robust 25th anniversary season during unsettled times, Arca first presents Blanco’s Kassandra for its Miami premiere at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center from October 16 through 19, and October 25 and 26.Produced in partnership with the Center, Roxy Theater Group and Miami-Dade County Auditorium, this is a play that uses broken English and is accessible both English and Spanish-speaking audiences. The second is the U.S. premiere of Blanco’s one-person show, performed by the playwright himself, Memento Mori, also at Westchester, on Thursday, October 23 and Friday, October 24.
KASSANDRA is a unique fusion of classical Greek myth and contemporary reality that reimagines the legendary Greek prophetess Kassandra as a transgender immigrant struggling to survive on the margins of society. It will be directed by long-time Arca collaborator Carlos Celdrán, an acclaimed, Miami-based Cuban-Spanish director and playwright.
In KASSANDRA, in rudimentary yet eloquent English, the main character sells contraband goods while sharing her personal story, and her experience of displacement that resonates with so many of today’s migrants. Kassandra demystifies her own myth and draws haunting parallels between ancient Troy and our world today – from the endless wars, forced exiles and new cartographies of power. Sergio Blanco said, “This play is a masquerade ball that explores themes of silenced violence and social exclusion.”
Memento Mori is a one-person show, written, directed and performed by Sergio Blanco. Its subtitle is “O la celebración de la muerte,” or a celebration of death, and in the piece, Blanco looks at death, and life, and what unites us. It uses special backgrounds by Uruguayan photographer Matilde Campodónico. “I am so honored, and excited, for both my plays to premiere in Miami, and to be joining them in-person,” added Blanco. Memento Mori will be presented in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.
Alexa Kuve, Arca Images’ Executive and Artistic Director, said, “Not only do these productions continue our tradition of presenting thought-provoking texts, but it also reinforces Miami’s position as a vibrant center of cutting-edge international theater.” Arca Images has been a leader in providing high quality, primarily Latino theater that is accessible to Miami’s diverse audiences. Using the Centers’ state-of-the art wireless headphone system for simultaneous translation, Kassandra will be presented in “broken English” accessible to bilingual audiences, and the reverse for Memento Mori. “Westchester and Roxy Theater Group are excited to enter our second season with Arca Images of world-class, Hispanic theater,” said Charles Sothers, Roxy founder and Artistic Director.
Sergio Blanco is an Uruguayan playwright and director based in Paris. His plays have been performed in numerous countries and translated into more than fifteen languages. His many accolades include two Off West End Theatre Awards in London. Director Carlos Celdrán is a Cuban, Madrid and Miami-based writer and director, who won the “National Theater Award” of Cuba and founded the acclaimed Argos Theater company in Havana. This production of Kassandra in Miami stars actress Ysmercy Salomón.
Tickets are $30 open seating, $25 seniors and students with valid ID. Advance tickets are available at www.arcaimages.org and the day of the show at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center box office only. The theater is fully wheelchair accessible, with adjacent free on-site surface parking available. The Westchester Cultural Arts Center is located 7930 S.W. 40th St. Miami, FL. To request materials in accessible format, or any disability accommodation, visit www.arcaimages.org or contact Arca by email at arcaimages@gmail.com.
Support for Arca Images, and its performances, is provided in part by Miami-Dade County Auditorium; Roxy Theater Group and Westchester Cultural Arts Center; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners; the National Latinx Theater Initiative; the Knight Foundation; the Shubert Foundation; the City of Coral Gables; American Airlines; IKE Smart City; and other donors.
