Canned Rat Meat

“Extra! Extra! Read all about it! There is a Black Death (Plague) outbreak in South Africa!”

In order to support his family, Panchito works at an overseas meat packing company. The company wants to bid for a project to provide 2,000 tons of meat to South Africans. In order to outbid the other canned meat companies, Panchito is entrusted with the task to find the cheapest meat. Beef, mutton, pork… The meat market is very competitive. In order to keep his job, Panchito begins looking for the cheapest alternative and eventually completes his task. However, what does Panchito have to do with the Black Death outbreaks in faraway South Africa?

Featuring an innovative in-the-round staging, Canned Rat Meat offers a modern refresh of the classic 1982 play by Argentinian playwright Osvaldo Dragún. The production also features a post-show talk conducted by our performers, which will lead students to reflect on the complexities behind the choices we make.