The first three schools to host the play, a project of the España-Florida 500 Years Foundation, all boast bilingual components that are part of the International Spanish Academies (ISAS), established by Spain’s Education Ministry at schools around the United States and Canada.

Menéndez made his debut at OkeeheeleMiddle School, whose principal is an enthusiastic Hispanophile, before an audience of 200 students aged 12-13.

It’s 1567. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, admiral of the Spanish Navy and first governor of Florida, goes home to Asturias two years after founding St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States. He shares his experiences with his listeners.

The children enjoyed the chance to return to the 16th century to relive Menéndez’s exploits via an interactive, dynamic, educational experience.

The explorer told his enthralled audience about his son Juan, who was lost at sea, narrated the ins and outs of his voyage to America and described his arrival on these shores.

The middle schoolers, eager to learn about the Spanish admiral’s adventures in Florida, questioned him for almost an hour about the purposes of his trip, the dangers of crossing the Atlantic, his relations with the indigenous people he encountered and his struggles with rival French settlers.

The fourth- and fifth-graders at New Horizons and Berkshire also enjoyed the explorer’s visit. They played with his costume and armor and listened attentively while he spoke of his adventures in Florida. Despite their age, children at both schools displayed great curiosity about Menéndez’s life and, following the performance, surprising understanding of the character and his story.

The school shows have been extremely successful with both students and teachers, who give the performance high grades. The España-Florida 500 Years Foundation intends to continue the tour through May and June, with Miami-DadeCounty schools next on the list.

American actor Chaz Mena is a renowned theater performer. He has also worked in film and television, in such series as Law and Order and Miami Vice. Mena himself helped craft the script after studying the admiral’s life and Florida’s Spanish colonial history with support from the state’s top historians.

See photos of the performance on Flickr.