Cuentos de miedo y otras pendejadas

(Scary Stories and Other Stupid Things)

Cuentos de miedo turns childhood fears into a grotesque, darkly funny spectacle

of surreal and visual theater!!

Visionary choreographer and artistic director Elliott Ortiz invites audiences to confront the monsters that shaped their childhood fears. Cuentos de Miedo y Otras Pendejadas merges dance, theater, and dark humor into an immersive exploration of myth, memory, and manipulation. Through movement and surreal imagery, Ortiz reimagines three figures from Latino folklore—El Cuco, El Duende, and La Bruja—transforming satire into beauty and childhood lies into theatrical truth. He fearlessly smashes the old scare tactics once used by nannies, grandparents, and parents, unmasking childhood myths for what they truly were: manipulative lies disguised as bedtime stories. They were tools of control that left scars. With this dance-theatrical piece, we reclaim them — exposing the lies and transforming fear into a bold performance.

Premier Oct 17 ( 8:15 p.m.)

Oct 18 / 7 pm: This show is the kickoff to Frenzy Fest, a festival about the human mind. On October 18, stay after — we’ll talk about how scary stories once used to discipline children traumatized them, and how theater turns those lies into art. Performance is following with a post-show conversation with represents of Barrio Independent Productions and Frenzy Fest with cast members of Cuentos de miedo.

Oct. 19 / 5 pm : Closing