FREE event, suggested age is 13+ 

On May 3rd, join Better Said Than Done at the Historic Blenheim Center for Antonio Rocha’s performance of The Malaga Ship: A story of Maine and the Middle Passage. This event Suggested for ages 13+.

The Malaga was a 183-ton brig built in 1832, in Brunswick, Maine, in s shipyard owned by Joseph Badger. The ship eventually found herself as part of the already illegal transatlantic trade of African captives to the Americas, especially Brazil.     

The Malaga Ship Story is a tour de force performance!

Using his entire body and voice, Antonio Rocha sings, narrates, and mimes his way through this poetically toned historical tale told mostly from the perspective of the ship. The story vividly explores the reality and impact of the slave industry, which was the largest industry in the world in the 1800s. The story also has a deep connection to the performer, for Malaga goes to Rio de Janeiro – Brazil in 1845, where Antonio was raised in a biracial household over a century later.

This event is sponsored in part by a grant from the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts. Thank you!

This event is part of the Spotlight on the Arts Festival 2025! Home - Spotlight on the Arts