Who hasn’t felt alone, out of place, or a little weird at times? Héctor, the Electric Kid taps into these feelings and explores what could happen when imagination, humor, and a touch of magic help us embrace who we are.
Ixchel Hernández shines as Héctor, a curious boy full of questions about himself — is he tall enough? Why does he have freckles? He watches other kids play but can’t quite bring himself to join in. Supported by his older brother Hernán (a charming Camilo Linares) and his kind, practical mother (a warm Nadia Palacios), Héctor longs for something more.
Director Mauricio Pita’s nimble production draws audiences in from the start. In Héctor’s living room, fish sway to music and a cute puppet dog, Pepe, bounces around the stage — and even into the audience — in search of treats. When Mom invites Héctor to her job at her auto shop to lift his spirits, the show’s inventive design by Matt Liptak transforms the family dining table into a car complete with wheels and headlights, surrounded by whimsical cardboard cutout vehicles that fill the stage with color and motion.
An energetic ensemble featuring Delbis Cardona and Camila Cossa keeps the fun rolling, encouraging the audience to make the sounds of revving engines, screeching brakes, and blaring horns for a raucously good time.
One especially clever moment has the cast wearing costumes that spell out the word WEIRD, reflecting Héctor’s insecurities — then shifting letters to form WIRED, signaling his newfound spark. Enter a flamboyant magician (dazzlingly costumed by Angélica Huertas in a purple cape) who tells Héctor that the light he’s searching for is already inside him. Still, Héctor must learn that lesson the hard way. A botched attempt to connect car battery cables turns him into a conduit for electricity — literally wired — his emotions triggering blackouts whenever he’s overwhelmed.
Through trial and error, Héctor discovers that the wizard was right: his light truly comes from within. His confidence grows as he decides to attend a birthday party, with audience volunteers joining him onstage for cheerful games and sing-alongs.
Beautifully bilingual, Héctor, the Electric Kid blends Spanish and English with ease, using playful songs and audience participation to help children learn new words while exploring big emotions. The story’s joyful spirit carries through, though one thread could use a bit more resolution. The program asks, “Now Héctor is electric. Can Héctor manage his new power?” — a question the play never fully answers. When Héctor’s emotions cause the school’s power to short out, the kids cheer for extra recess, but it’s unclear whether his electricity ever fades or transforms into metaphorical “inner light.” A clearer closing moment showing that he’s truly living from his own confidence would make the ending stronger.
This delightful new work is part of GALita, the children’s theater branch of GALA Hispanic Theatre. Since 1980, GALita has created bilingual productions that inspire joy, discovery, pride, and cultural identity in young audiences ages 4 to 12, featuring both new plays and adaptations of classic Latin American stories.With its inventive staging, lovable characters, and heartfelt message, Héctor, the Electric Kid is a bilingual treat for families — a story that reminds children (and adults) that being a little “weird” might just be where the magic begins.
Running Time: 60 minutes with no intermission.
Héctor, the Electric Kid plays through November 1, 2025, at GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets ($10–$12) online. For more information, visit galatheatre.org or call (202) 234-7174.
This world premiere bilingual musical is appropriate for all ages, aged 5 and up.
The cast and creative credits are downloadable here (scroll down).
Héctor, the Electric Kid
Book and Lyrics by Cornelia Cody (El Salvador/USA)
Directed by Mauricio Pita (Venezuela)
Music by Aldo Ortega
