World Premiere of KISSES THROUGH THE GLASS by Nilo Cruz at Miami-Dade County Auditorium This Summer

As part of its Hot Theatre Summer Series, the Miami-Dade County Auditorium is turning up the heat with the World Premiere of Kisses Through the Glass by Nilo Cruz, July 28 - Aug. 7.

The play, which opens on Thursday, July 28 at 8:30 p.m., is the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright-director's second MDCA premiere in less than one year, having debuted Hotel Desiderium to sold-out audiences in November 2021.

This partnership is an example of the Auditorium's commitment to fostering such progressive and dynamic works as that of Nilo Cruz, but also to providing a diverse and affordable theatrical experience for residents and visitors over the summer months.

Kisses Through the Glass focuses on the closeness of humanity, as well as shared feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, brought about by the global pandemic, while exploring happenstance connections with a greater meaning.

An example of Cruz's fondness in working with actors who have previously appeared in his plays and readings, Kisses Through the Glass stars Hannia Guillén as Anabella, in the role of an actress trying to keep theatre alive, and Leo Oliva as Trevor, a truck driver who is completing his final delivery. Anabella and Trevor meet at a highway rest stop and forge an unbreakable bond.

"Nilo Cruz is a national treasure, and we are truly thrilled to have the pleasure of presenting this second premiere of his work in less than a year." says Michael Spring, director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. "Cruz's work transcends boundaries, takes risks, and explores the beauty in the mundane."

Spring continues, "Miami-Dade County Auditorium consistently does an outstanding job of offering opportunities to our community's diverse and outstanding artists to create and debut new work."

The MDCA, part of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, serves as the hub of cultural exchange and an incubator for supporting and developing the work of Miami-Dade County's premiere local artists.

Nilo Cruz, a South Florida native, is the first Latino playwright to have won a Pulitzer. In addition to his two world premieres over the past 12 months through ARCA Images, one of South Florida's leading producers of Hispanic Theater creating original contemporary works and new adaptations of classic plays, Cruz has also worked on operatic collaborations. This includes the new Spanish-language opera El último sueño de Frida y Diego (The Last Dream of Frida and Diego) with composer Gabriela Lena Frank, which will premiere in 2023 at the San Francisco Opera.

Kisses Through the Glass is part of the Auditorium's Hot Theatre Summer Series, which also includes the 36th Annual International Hispanic Theatre Festival and International Children's Day.

Presenting some of the best theatre companies from Latin America, Europe, and the United States, the series offers Miami audiences and visitors the opportunity to enjoy performances all summer long. In addition, International Children's Day provides arts and crafts, food, activities, theatre workshops and shows for local children and their families at no cost.

The full run of the Hot Theatre Summer Series takes place July 8 - Aug. 7, with theatrical performances beginning at 5 and 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from free to $30. For full show information, health & safety guidelines and ticket details, contact Miami-Dade County Auditorium at 305-547-5414, MDCA@miamidade.gov, or MiamiDadeCountyAuditorium.org.

Tickets are available for purchase online via Ticketmaster.com or in-person at the MDCA box office, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 2901 West Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33135 - in the heart of Little Havana.

Since the theatre opened its doors in 1951, Miami-Dade County Auditorium (MDCA) has served as the center for showcasing the diversity of Miami-Dade County's cultural life and most recently, as a hub for celebrating the Hispanic arts community. In order to best serve Miami's diverse, multilingual audiences, programs are presented in English, Spanish, and sometimes both. MDCA partners with outstanding non-profit cultural organizations and artists to present high quality performances on the Main Stage, Orchestra, Mid-Stage, and On.Stage Black Box configurations with the objective of cultivating their work. These partnerships have been instrumental in reasserting MDCA's role as a significant hub of cultural exchange and an incubator for supporting and developing the work of Miami-Dade County's premiere arts groups and artists. MDCA is managed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, with funding support from the office of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, and grant funding from the Florida Department of State, Florida Division of Arts and Culture, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. More information about MDCA can be found at MiamiDadeCountyAuditorium.org.

The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council develop cultural excellence, diversity, access and participation throughout Miami-Dade County by strategically creating and promoting equitable opportunities for artists and cultural organizations, and our residents and visitors who are their audiences. The Department receives funding through the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children's Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Florida Division of Arts and Culture, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Peacock Foundation, Inc., and The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation. Other support and services are provided by TicketWeb for the Culture Shock Miami program, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Florida Cultural Consortium and the Tourist Development Council. For more information visit miamidadearts.org.

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