The Malaga Ship: A Story of Maine and the Middle Passage

Witness renowned storyteller Antonio Rocha tell the true, heartbreaking tale of the Malaga, a ship that was built in Maine and used to traffic enslaved people. 

The Malaga was a 183-ton brig built in Brunswick, Maine in 1832, in a shipyard owned by Joseph Badger. Although it was illegal to traffic enslaved people from Africa to the Americas in the 1800s, the Malaga took part in an illicit slave trade that persisted during the 19th century. Eventually, the ship made its way to Brazil, where slavery was not abolished until 1888. 

In The Malaga Ship: A Story of Maine and the Middle Passage, Rocha—who was born in Brazil and came to Maine to study with Tony Montanaro at Celebration Barn—brings this thought-provoking history to life with stunning virtuosity. The story is mostly told from the ship’s point of view, with details about the trade never taught in school. Drawing on his skills as a storyteller and mime, Rocha also sings and produces realistic sounds as he weaves the history of the Malaga with his own fascinating Afro-Brazilian biography. 

Join us for this astonishing performance in which Rocha brings you on a journey that connects centuries and continents. 

The show is not suitable for people 12 years old and younger.

Run time: 45 minutes. A post-show discussion will follow the performance.