the present tense

March was a month of theater for me. Another play I saw was Anna in the Tropics, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz and directed by Marcela Lorca.

Cruz is a Cuban-American playwright. In 2003 when he became the first Latino author not born in United States to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this play.

The production was excellent. The script, performances, and set design were outstanding. It felt like being in one of the cigar factories in Ybor City during the early 20th century. In the play, a “lector” (that means reader) shares passages from Anna Karenina (the celebrated Tostoi novel) with the workers while they roll cigars. The ritual of rolling tobacco is sacred, filled with repetition, rhythm, and a sense of community. As the play goes on, the story of Anna Karenina starts to blend with the atmosphere, becoming more tropical and carrying its own mix of tragedy and intensity, but with the warmth (or I should say the heat) of Florida and its people.

The live pianist, which I understand was added to the original play, gave it a special touch. He seemed to improvise (like jazz musicians), making each performance unique and creating a special atmosphere every time.

This was also a perfect opportunity to visit the legendary Asolo Repertory Theater. I learned that part of the building was brought from Asolo, Italy, and rebuilt in Sarasota, right next to the Ringling Museum in 1958. Since then, the Asolo Repertory Theatre offers a diverse program, from contemporary plays to reimagined classics, ballet, musicals, and more.