A group of Latino puppeteers in Chicago is working to create more inclusive and accessible spaces for bilingual and intergenerational audiences. The puppet band Changosnakedog, formed in 2023 by Otto Anzures Dadda, includes Carolina Gomez and Melannie Gonzalez. Together, they aim to bring family-friendly performances that cross language barriers and encourage participation from both children and adults.
“It’s really hard to find something that’s actually in person that you can go watch and be able to understand [as a kid], whether you speak English or Spanish,” said Gonzalez, who plays Zana La Rana in the trio.
Changosnakedog’s cast members each bring unique backgrounds: Anzures Dadda voices Balam the jaguar; Gomez provides vocals for Changosnakedog the puppy; and Gonzalez performs as Zana La Rana. Their shows blend music genres such as cumbia and rock with themes relevant to migration, community support, and education.
“The music brought us together. I feel like it’s the perfect combination of personalities,” said Gomez. “Otto is a dreamer. He dreams everything, and that’s amazing. Melannie is the most curious person I’ve ever met in my life. She plays the drums and she plays the piano, she loves art, and she’s very curious about art that she’s just everywhere. I am a very academic person. I’m the nerd of all of them and I feel like I round those two aspects of them.”
The group’s performances are designed for all ages but are especially suited for young children while also appealing to older audiences through their musical variety.
“The adults like it; they would listen to the songs by themselves, but they also listen with their children because it enriches them,” Anzures Dadda said. “We definitely need more family-friendly stuff. I want to teach habits that are healthy and spread good advice that the children need. We have to support our community and cultivate education.”
Other local Latino puppeteers such as Rocio “Chio” Cabrera and Osiris “Pinky” Cuen Gabriel Mundo have collaborated with Changosnakedog members on various projects aimed at promoting multilingual content within Chicago’s arts scene.
Gomez explained her motivation: “When Changosnakedog came along, it was kind of like that cherry that the cake needed. I feel like you need to nurture all the education and all the concepts, but also add that social awareness of your environment,” she said. “Why do I want to learn the 1-2-3s and the ABCs when I’m not kind? When I don’t understand my peer that has another color of skin or has an accent, or my friend that does not speak my language?”
Their efforts extend beyond live shows into radio programming—a medium widely used by Hispanic communities in the United States—allowing them greater reach among families who may not attend theater events.
“We’re trying to figure it out — how to cra ck that code for our Latino community, to start believing a little more in art as a form of education,” Gomez said.
Community outreach remains central for these artists as they hold workshops through organizations such as Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and Opera-Matic, aiming to inspire new generations of Latino puppeteers.
“If the adults already understand the value of art, then the adults can start to make the change and clear the path, so that when the kids grow up, the path is ready for them,” Díaz Barriga said.
“Not a lot of [Latino] people know about theater or know about puppeteering, and I think it is something you have to go out and look for,” Gonzalez added. “But it’s a really good community. It’s a really good world, and it takes you to a whole different level of how you see certain things.”
