“The Malaga Ship: A story of Maine and the Middle Passage” told by Antonio Rocha

Sponsored by Lewis And Wilkins LLP, Attorneys at Law

The Malaga was a 183-ton brig built in Brunswick, Maine in 1832 in a shipyard owned by Joseph Badger. It didn’t take long for the ship to become part of the illegal transatlantic trade of African captives to the Americas.

Developed while an artist in residence in Portland, Maine, Antonio Rocha tells the story of the ship, using his entire body and voice, singing, narrating, and miming his way through this poetic historical tale. The story vividly explores the reality and impact of the slave industry, which connects The Malaga Ship to Rio de Janeiro, where Rocha was raised.

About the Artist
Antonio Rocha (pronounced haw-sha) was a performer in his native Brazil when he received a Partners of the Americas grant in 1988 to come to the U.S. to study with master mime Tony Montanaro. He went on to earn a theatre degree from University of Southern Maine and study under world-renowned mime artist Marcel Marceau.

Rocha’s unique fusion of mime and spoken word has been performed in 16 countries on six continents. His credits include Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, National Storytelling Festival, the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, and National Geographic. Rocha has three DVDs, including one which won the Parents Choice Gold Award, a picture book and two CDs. In 2015, Rocha received the coveted National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence Award for his “exceptional commitment and exemplary contributions to the art of storytelling.” Visit his website at StoryInMotion.com.