Rocio “Chio” Cabrera — Chicago’s puppetry artist and community arts organizer, creating playful, political, large-scale puppet experiences for youth and families.
What’s coming up
Family Day at the Museum of Contemporary Art
Jan 10 - 11-3pm
Chio’s Puppetry will be making hand puppets and showcasing inpromptu performances on video screeens throughout the museum. This month’s theme is Myths and Legends. Make a legendary puppet with us! All supplies are free and admission into the museum is also free! — Details here
I’m making a baby!
January 2026
My biggest project ever - craft a beautiful and healthy baby in 9 months using only organ tissue, nutrients, and boundless heaps of love. This project has been so intense that I’ve bunkered down and abstained from all other distractions. Labor has been quite literally breathtaking. Currently unavailable for new projects until March 2026.
What I’ve recently been working on
My work on view at the The Ballard Institute and Museum
November 2025
Several of my puppets are on display at the exhibit, Somos Uno: Mexican and Mexican American Puppetry. These puppets have been in the following shows that I’ve directed and created; El Barzon, The Eclipse, and Juana and the Missing Mayan Book. They’ll be on display until March 8, 2026. They’re part of a wonderful international collection with other significant Mexican works. Details here.
Giant Puppet for AT&T–ICE Protest
November 2025
In collaboration with The People’s Lobby, I was commissioned to design and fabricate a large-scale ICE agent puppet for a public demonstration in Chicago’s West Loop. Over the course of one week, a team of lead artists and community members co-designed and constructed the puppet, incorporating an aluminum backpack support frame to enable a mobile street performance.
The puppet was prominently featured at a protest outside the AT&T store on S. Halsted Street, where demonstrators called on AT&T to end its business dealings ICE. I am passionate about immigrant rights and was proud to use my puppetry skills as a tool for social justice and storytelling. Details here.
An excerpt from Juana and the Missing Mayan Book - a historical piece about the ancient Mayan world and bravery. The story follows a 9 year old’s pursuit to save one of the last surviving Maya books. It’s a live action piece featuring full sized animal puppets, shadow puppetry, and music.
Interested in bringing this to your school or community group? This show is 40-minutes and best for children between 2nd-6th grade. Elements of the show can be adjusted for a bilingual audience. Reach out at rocio.chio.cabrera@gmail.com
“Ssss... Get out! Silly girl, the jungle is wild.”
Chio Cabrera
Rocio “Chio” Cabrera is a Mexican-American artist creating new Latina stories through puppetry. Rocio builds, directs, and performs in her own shows for families and for theaters across the city of Chicago. When she’s educating children with puppets, she focuses on the empathy, joy, and creativity that puppets bring.