Teatro ECAS celebrates Francis Parra’s recognition as a 2026 RI Pell Award.
By Delia Rodriguez-Masjoan ┃June 2026
We are proud to share exciting news with the Teatro ECAS family. Our Founder and Artistic Executive Director, Francis Parra, was a recipient of the 2026 Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts.
Earlier this month, Francis accepted this prestigious honor at the Pell Awards ceremony, surrounded by fellow artists, community leaders, friends, and supporters. It was a proud moment not only for Francis, but for the entire Teatro ECAS family and the Latino community that has embraced her work for nearly three decades.
This award recognizes Francis’s artistic vision, leadership, and commitment to ensuring that Latino stories, voices, and experiences have a place on Rhode Island’s stages and in our cultural landscape. Under her leadership, Teatro ECAS has grown from a small volunteer theater company into a vibrant cultural institution serving thousands of people each year through theater productions, educational programs, youth initiatives, and community events.
Founded in 1997, Teatro ECAS began with a simple but powerful belief: that theater can educate, inspire, preserve culture, and bring communities together. What started as a traveling theater company performing in schools, libraries, community centers, and borrowed spaces has grown into New England’s premier Spanish-language repertory theater company and a respected cultural institution.
One of Francis Parra’s most enduring commitments has been making theater accessible to all. For the past six years, every Teatro ECAS production performed in Spanish has included English supertitles, allowing audiences from all backgrounds to experience Latino stories, traditions, history, and perspectives. This commitment reflects her belief that theater can build bridges between cultures and create opportunities for understanding, dialogue, and connection.
For nearly three decades, Francis has served as a director, educator, mentor, advocate, and community builder. Through productions, educational programs, youth initiatives, cultural events, and international collaborations, she has helped thousands of individuals discover their voices, celebrate their identities, and experience the transformative power of the arts.
As we celebrate this recognition, we invite you to become part of the Teatro ECAS family. Whether you attend a performance, become a member, volunteer, sponsor a production, or make a donation, your support helps ensure that Latino stories continue to be shared and celebrated for generations to come.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported Teatro ECAS throughout the years. Together, we are building a vibrant cultural home where art, language, and community thrive.
Join us. Attend a performance. Become a member. Make a gift. Help us ensure that the next generation of artists, audiences, and community members continues to find a home at Teatro ECAS.
An eccentric family with macabre intentions will make you laugh and immerse you in a theatrical experience filled with tension, humor, and unexpected twists in El Cianuro… ¿solo o con leche? At Teatro ECAS, every production celebrates our culture and the stories that connect us, and this one is no exception.
DATES – TIMES
Thursday, July 9 – 7:00 PM
Friday, July 10 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, July 11 – 7:00 PM
Sunday, July 12 – 3:00 PM
Thursday, July 16 – 7:00 PM
Friday, July 17 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, July 18 – 7:00 PM
Sunday, July 19 – 3:00 PM
El Cianuro… ¿solo o con leche? is performed in Spanish
Based in the heart of southeastern New England, Teatro ECAS brings together diverse
multigenerational audiences to experience the joy of live theater performed in Spanish, fostering self-discovery and cultural connection.
Vision
With a focus on children, youth and families, Teatro ECAS aspires to enrich the cultural and civic vitality of our community while achieving national prominence for its artists and its artistry.
