Arcadio, the Ingenious

Staged at Xcaret Park`s La Isla Restaurant

Don Gaspar Maglah Canul tells his tales

**A Tale entitled Arcadio, el ingenuo [Arcadio, the Ingenious]

By Alejandra Flores

Don Gaspar Maglah Canul is 70 years old and is a storyteller, a legacy inherited from his grandfather.  He likes to entertain children with the legends of his Mayan ancestors; sometimes just listening to his voice is a delight and at others, he is accompanied by the Kantunilkin Cultural Center`s Dance Troupe and characters that depict his tales.

Don Gaspar has already become a Festival legend and the 3rd Life and Death Festival, Xcaret 2008 would not be the same without him.  Just like in the first two festivals, he will create delightful memories for both locals and strangers alike with his oral traditions.

For this festival, Don Gaspar will present Arcadio, the Ingenious to us, a story of a man who refuses to participate in his family`s offerings to the dearly departed.  He laughs at his people`s customs but takes full advantage of the festivities, going from party to party.  Arcadio, the Ingenious, doesn`t know what`s waiting for him: when he`s full of the party spirit, an apparition will leave him dumbstruck; for poor Arcadio it`s only a single step from madness to death.

Kantunilkin`s storyteller, Don Gaspar, uses his voice as a tool to plant words as they were planted in him.  `Veneration for the dead is as ancient as life itself`, says Don Gaspar in his liquid tones.  `My grandparents taught me that we should remember our dead because they show us the way on a path we must all take.`

Don Gaspar Maglah Canul and twenty-one teenagers, children and adults belonging to the Kantunilkin Cultural Center`s Dance Troupe will stage their production at Xcaret Park`s La Isla Restaurant on October 30th and 31st.