Q&A with performer Felix Pitre

Felix Pitre is a performer who focuses on bringing Latin American culture to children through puppetry, song, theater and storytelling. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York, Pitre uses performance to emphasize Latin American culture while entertaining in English and Spanish. Pitre will be performing “Stories and Songs of Latin America” at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro Thursday.

He talked to staff writer Sarah Vassello about his passion for performance and his love of Latin American culture.

Daily Tar Heel: How would you describe your show?

Felix Pitre: It’s a bilingual program of storytelling, music, audience participation and puppetry for children —and adults, they enjoy it, too. They enjoy the show as much as the children — and it uses these approaches to share Latin American culture.

DTH: How did you get started doing this?

FP: Oh, jeez. I think I first did it in 1974. It has evolved over time. I think I was an actor, and I was auditioning for something in the theater, and they wanted to put together a one-person show, storytelling and music, so I went up there and said I had grandfather stories and I had some songs that I knew, and I put together this show. I think we did it in 1974 in the Newark Museum in Newark, N.J. And then I kept doing it; I changed it, and I ended up performing at the Kennedy Center, and after that it just took off once I did it there.

DTH: What made you decide to make kids your targeted audience?

FP: Well, it’s funny, I never made that decision. Like I said, I went to this theater, which they created programs for children, and they asked me to do the program and I did it. And then what happened was that the children told me that they enjoyed me as a performer, so they actually picked me. You know, it was sort of the other way around.

DTH: Why put on a show about Latin America culture?

FP: When I saw this ad in the trade papers years ago — I don’t know if it was Variety or Backstage, you know, one of the trade papers actors are always looking for work in — and someone put an ad in there saying they wanted someone to put together a Latin American program, and I said you know, that’s me, I’m Latin American. I was born in Puerto Rico, and grew up here in a Latin American family, and I had training as a performer –– I could sing, I could play the guitar–– and it just worked that way. Later on, as I did the program more and I did other programs, I developed the puppets. It’s always an experiment to see if it will work, you take a chance to see if something will work, and you’re surprised if it comes off and it works well. And your audience has to tell you if you’re doing well, if you’re doing okay. That’s how I gauge it.

DTH: How did you decide on the mediums you use in your shows?

FP: Well, I started out as an actor, so the theater to me, I do my shows and they’re in theater style. So, that was not a problem. And then I did play the guitar — when I was a very young man, I was in a rock band — so I threw that in. And then the puppets, I think I was doing a piece commissioned by the Smithsonian when I created the puppets, and I said “Oh, let me try this.” Just try things. How you know is if your audience reacts to it favorably, they like it, they’re the ones who tell you whether that’s cool or not.

DTH: Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about your show or you as an artist?

FP: I enjoy it, I enjoy doing it. It’s a lot of fun. Like I said, you can tell I’ve been doing it a long time. Not only did the show evolve, but I guess the performer evolved, too. I started out as a young man, telling stories and singing songs, and then I got older and my wife travels with me. Our children grew up and now we have grandchildren. I look at the audience and first you can see your children there, and now I can see my grandchildren there. It’s very rewarding in terms of that, and it’s nice to be able to share the culture with them.

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