Raw Talent and Boricua Pride: TCG Pre-Conference Reflection on Puerto Rico

Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (Photo by Norma Arbelo Irizarry)

From the Executive Office | Spring 2026

May 11, 2026 Emilya Cachapero Leave a comment

Raw Talent and Boricua Pride

A pre-conference reflection on Puerto Rico, where TCG will hold its national conference in June.

By Emilya Cachapero

Our TCG Conference advance team —Erica Lauren Ortiz, Kamilah Long, and I—arrived in San Juan for our initial site visit on July 9, 2025, just a few days before Bad Bunny (or Benito, as local folx affectionately call him) was to begin his 30-day residency. The Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU) is the primary gateway to the island and the busiest airport in the Caribbean. The baggage claim area was a hectic mix of those returning to the island wheeling bags full of regalitos for family, and tourists escaping for R&R time.

The first nine shows of Bad Bunny’s residency were reserved for locals, and if you weren’t quick enough to score a ticket at one of the in-person distribution centers around the island months before, you could try to register for an online pre-sale code. Boricua pride was in abundance everywhere from Uber drivers to restaurant servers to our local theatre partners. Every meeting we had started with, “Are you going to the Bad Bunny concert?” While his music may not be everybody’s beat, it is unanimous that his residency, like his more recent Super Bowl halftime show , was a monumental homage to the island and a political act done on his terms. No other global performer has ever gone to such extreme lengths to prove the significance that la patria occupies in his personal cosmovision. And being joyful and actively championing being loving is not currently commonplace in our daily lives.

I was inspired by our sister organizations Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), who held their national convenings in San Juan. Much appreciation to them for encouraging us to follow in their steps, and for the invaluable tips they’ve shared with us, for our National Conference , to be held there June 10-13. It’s important to note that this is the first time that TCG’s National Conference has been held in a location that is not stateside. We—TCG’s co-executive directors—see this choice as mission- and values-driven.

Puerto Rican culture is a mix of Indigenous Taíno, African, and Spanish influence, and you’ll hear people self-identifying as Boricua (a person native to Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican descent), embodying a strong sense of pride, culture, and connection to the island. The term originates from Borikén, the indigenous Taíno name for the island, meaning “Land of the Brave Lord,” and making it a nod to the island’s Indigenous roots. I grew up in San Francisco and my ear is used to Mexican Spanish. Boricua Spanish has its own rapid pace, canta’o rhythm, and distinct slang. Because English is a mandatory subject from elementary to high school and bilingualism is common, my Spanglish finds its place easily and me siento a gusto.

In Miranda Purcell’s article in this issue (p. 34), she writes about the splitness that Puerto Ricans inhabit, which is shaped by their territorial status: island and mainland, English and Spanish, sovereignty and statehood. I encourage you to take a look at the 18-minute viral video made by journalist Bianca Graulau for Bad Bunny’s “El Apagón” video . It delves into the complexities at play for those living on the island, which are not always evident to those of us visiting for a brief time.

In Puerto Rico, art, culture, and politics are closely intertwined with daily life, and have been from the earliest times. You may have already read the first in our series of articles about the National Conference in Puerto Rico on AmericanTheatre.org: an interview with theatre historian, critic, and researcher Dra. Rosalina Perales , who discusses Puerto Rico’s theatre evolution with Brigitte Viellieu-Davis, a co-ambassador for Puerto Rico with the Dramatists Guild of America.

You could make the case that the island’s best raw material is its creative talent, and the diaspora of Puerto Rican theatre artists is a prodigious number. You don’t have to search far and wide for playwrights, actors, directors, and designers who are contributing to the vitality of our theatre field, and they are likely in your community. We have announced that Tony Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes will open our National Conference. In Puerto Rico, Manuel Morán, artistic director of Teatro SEA (based in both NYC and San Juan), just established two initiatives supporting musical theatre: one of the only Spanish-language musical theatre degree programs in Latin America at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico ; and El Musical , founded with Lin-Manuel Miranda, a platform created to inspire, support, and promote Latine voices. Our TCG Conference advance team returned to San Juan in April during the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña’s 63rd International Puerto Rican Theatre Festival .

One of our main goals in holding the National Conference in Puerto Rico is to connect that community with their colleagues in the States, to see their work, and to learn and exchange with each other around common concerns that include climate change, education, advocacy, and community connectivity. Some companies to have on your radar include, but are not limited to, Y No Había Luz , Teatro Breve , Teatro Público , Tantai Teatro , and Asociación ACirc Corp .

Though I wasn’t able to see Bad Bunny live, I did pick up some Debí Tirar Más Fotos lanyards and will be wearing mine joyfully at our 2026 National Conference in San Juan, June 10-13. ¡See you there y tenemos que meter mano!

Emilya Cachapero ( she/her/siya ) is the Co-Executive Director for National and Global Programming for Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and has been active in the global arts community for more than 40 years.

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_Originally reported by [American Theatre](https://www.americantheatre.org/2026/05/11/raw-talent-and-boricua-pride/)._