Puerto Rican puppet company. Founded in 1979 in San Germán, the Compañía Títeres de Puerto Rico Inc. (Puppet Company of Puerto Rico Inc.) is directed by José “Joe” B. Alvarez (b.1949). He began his career in theatre during high school with the group DRASO (Dramático-Social) before later working with the master, Leopoldo Santiago Lavandero, who taught him the trade. In 1972, Alvarez founded the Compañía de Teatro Guaraní with a group of students with whom he performed on several productions until 1979, travelling through the regions of Mayagüez and Arrecibo with his partner, Zaida Ruberté.

In 1980, the company represented Puerto Rico in the Tercera Semana del Títere (Third Week of Puppetry) held in Mexico City, which welcomed troupes from around the world. Zaida and José Alvarez also worked for television by creating scripts for puppets and children’s programmes. Their repertoire includes Pluft, el fantasmita (Pluft, the Little Ghost) by the Brazilian María Clara Machado, La Feria (The Fair) by Manuel Méndez Ballester, La princesa calva (The Bald Princess) by Elsie Moreau, El héroe galopante (The Galloping Hero) by Nemesio Canales, Vejigantes (approx. Carnival Masks) by Francisco Arriví, Alguien sabe qué hora es? (Does Anyone Know What Time It Is?) by Argentine authors, Nela Grisolia and Adela Vettier, El camaroncito dormilón (The Lazy Little Shrimp) of Andrés Dias Marrero, and in a free adaptation for puppets, El mago de Oz (The Wizard of Oz) by Lyman Frank Baum.

(See Puerto Rico.)