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Description
Join costume designer Rea J. Brown and Long Wharf Theatre Artistic Team member Vanessa Soto at the New Haven Museum (NHM) for a conversation on culture, identity, and character as represented through the play “El Coquí Espectacular & the Bottle of Doom,” on Thursday, October 25, 2025, at 6 p.m. The free event will be preceded by tours with Long Wharf Theatre Director of Artistic Planning and exhibition curator Jessica Durdock Moreno at 5:00 and a reception at 5:30 p.m.
Brown, who designed the costumes for “El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom,” will discuss how their design process brought the characters, cultural themes, and superhero elements of the play to life through costume.
During the play, the iconic Puerto Rican superhero, El Coquí Espectacular—who behind the mask is Alex, a struggling comic book artist with a secret identity of his own—grapples with self-doubt and the lure of a steady job, navigating the challenges of being a hero both on and off the page. Brown’s costume designs bring El Coquí and his world to life, drawing on both comic book iconography and Puerto Rican cultural references. The costumes illuminate Alex’s inner conflict, his cultural pride, and the tension between fantasy and reality. During the discussion Soto will frame how these design choices deepen the play’s exploration of heritage, belonging, and representation.
“Our conversation will extend beyond the play itself, looking at how costumes embody culture and identity, how superheroes can serve as cultural icons, and how design choices shape the way we understand character and identity,” says Soto. “Even without seeing “El Coquí,” the discussion will offer insight into theatre-making, representation, and the power of visual storytelling.”
Costumes and materials from “El Coquí Espectacular & the Bottle of Doom,” are included in the NHM exhibition, “Invitation to Engage: 60 Years of Long Wharf Theatre & Beyond” which is on view through February 2026. The exhibition features a collection of costumes, posters, and rare archival treasures that brings the vibrant history of Long Wharf Theatre to life, and a “who’s who” of stage royalty including Rita Moreno, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, Frances McDormand, Anna Deavere Smith, Steve Martin, Jessica Tandy and many more. The exhibition will remain on view through February 2026.
The exhibition invites visitors to step inside six decades of theatrical history. Visitors may try on costumes, explore an immersive set recreation, flip through original scripts, and experience an interactive rehearsal space alongside a gallery spotlighting the next generation of Long Wharf Theatre artists.
Dozens of original production photos and archival treasures take center stage in the rotunda, offering a “deep dive” into the context, relevance, and enduring resonance of seminal productions—from 1965 to today.
The center gallery focuses on the current 60th-anniversary season. Visitors can explore the world of “El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom” and create their own stories. Inspired by last season’s theme, “Building Our Future Together,” guests can also craft their own artwork and add it to the gallery wall.
About Rea J. Brown
Brown is a costume designer and visual artist. Their work has been seen at Long Wharf Theatre, Steppenwolf's 1700 theatre, Juilliard, David Geffen School of Drama, and more. They hold a M.F.A in costume design from Yale University and a B.A. in theater and performance studies and visual arts from the University of Chicago. In 2025 they received the Leo Lerman fellowship in design for their work in costumes. They currently work out of New Haven as well as New York City and the Washington D.C. area.
About Vanessa Soto
Soto is a New Haven native who attended Hopkins School and graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in Theater and Women's and Gender Studies. She trained as an actor and theater director at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Theater Institute and continued to have a career in the performing arts. After a decade living in South Florida, she returned to New Haven in 2020 and began work with Long Wharf Theatre as their Company Manager. Currently, she also manages community projects and assists the development team at the company.
About Long Wharf Theatre
Founded in 1965, Long Wharf Theatre is a Tony Award-winning company based in New Haven, CT. With more than 400 productions to its name, Long Wharf Theatre cultivates some of the country’s most celebrated playwrights, directors, and actors, premiering new plays and staging reimagined classics that contribute to the American theatre canon. Today, the organization builds on its legacy by activating a new producing model — bringing theatre directly into neighborhoods across New Haven and beyond. Dedicated to storytelling with lasting social impact, Long Wharf Theatre continues to expand what theatre can be: locally rooted, deeply resonant, and accessible to all. longwharftheatre.org @longwharftheatre
About the New Haven Museum
The New Haven Museum has been collecting, preserving and interpreting the history and heritage of Greater New Haven since its inception as the New Haven Colony Historical Society in 1862. Located in downtown New Haven at 114 Whitney Avenue, the Museum brings more than 375 years of New Haven history to life through its collections, exhibitions, programs and outreach. As a Blue Star Museum, the New Haven Museum offers the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, free admission all year. For more information visit http://newhavenmuseum.org or @NewHavenMuseum or call 203-562-4183.
Date & Time
Wed, Oct 15, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Venue Details
New Haven Museum
114 Whitney AvenueNew Haven, Connecticut 06510
