This puppet play is a fun-filled adventure based on the true history of Panama, the “big meeting” between the native people of Panama and the Spanish Conquistadors along the beautiful River Chagres. During the journey, you will meet a mysterious pirate who has his eyes set on the gold— leading to a madcap chase! This bilingual play is an adaptation from el Museo Del Canal Interoceanico de Panama’s “El tremendo encontron.” This production is a partnership between Discovery Theater, The Smithsonian Latino Center, and the Museo Del Canal Interoceanico de Panama.

About Panama and ‘The Tremendous Encounter”:

This beautiful country, whose name, shrouded in mystery, may mean “abundance of fish, trees and butterflies”, or “butterflies and gold” or even “fish and flies”: some believe the word comes from the Kuna word "Bannaba" which means "distant" or "far away".  Kunas are only one of the native tribes of the Latin American nation. Panama is the southernmost country of Central America, nestled on an isthmus connecting the Americas. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, and its shores touch the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

Panama was part of the Spanish empire for 300 years from around 1538 to 1821. During this time, gold and silver were brought by ship from South America, hauled across the isthmus, and loaded aboard ships for Spain. The route became known as the Camino Real, or Royal Road, although it was sometimes named Camino de Cruces, referring to the many graves that demonstrated the hardship endured travelling the route.

This period is sometimes likened to the ‘Wild West’ in the history of the United States.  Stories of long and arduous journeys in a lush, new country, the suffering of the indigenous tribal peoples who encountered foreign visitors with eyes on treasures and resources available there, and the creation of a new blended race of people are common to all the Americas. This “tremendous encounter” is presented in our play for young children to share this history with new generations.  The Smithsonian Latino Center presents this play with puppets brought from the Museo Del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá.  The play is directed both by Discovery Theater’s Roberta Gasbarre and the Museo Del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá’s Linneth Suira, as part of their year-long series of exhibits and events focusing on the country.