Theatre Alumna Lands Leading Role in Children’s Theatre Production

Isabel Gonzales, who received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre in 2019, will play the female lead in the upcoming Children’s Theatre of Charlotte production of Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba. Adapted from the book by Margarita Engle, Tropical Secrets (pictured above) explores the World War II-era friendship between Daniel, a Jewish boy seeking refuge in Cuba, and a young local girl named Paloma. The production will stream via Broadway On Demand, March 22-May 31.

Tropical Secrets is part of Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s multi-year “Kindness Project,” through which the company commissioned four new plays. In the summer of 2019, then theatre student Ginger Duchi ‘19, theatre professor Kaja Dunn, and dance alumnus Alex Aguilar ’17, joined playwright L.M. Feldman and director David Winitsky for a week-long professional workshopping of the play at CT Charlotte.

CT Charlotte is the city’s top professional theatre company, producing hundreds of performances every year. Gonzales can also be seen in the company’s production of Grimmz Fairy Tales, streaming via Broadway On Demand through March 31. She performs the roles of Cinderella and Gretel in the hip-hop retelling of classic stories. Grimmz Fairy Tales also features dance alumna Renee Welsh Noel ’16 and set design by Associate Professor of Scene Design Tom Burch.

Alumni Renee Welsh Noel (far left) and Isabel Gonzales (far right) with the cast of Grimmz Fairy Tales.