Anna in the Tropics at Annie Russell Theatre

Pulitzer Prize-winning Nilo Cruz tells the haunting story of early 20th Century Cuban exiles who escaped persecution by displacing to Florida. Running their own Cuban Cigar factory in the city of Tampa, the workers are rich with culture and tradition from their native country. As was common in Cuba, they hire a “lector” to read stories and news while they work in the factory. Juan Julian, the newly arrived lector, chooses to read Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, a story of love, passion and heartbreak. As the readings of Tolstoy’s novel entwine with the characters’ lives like the smoke of a rich cigar, the tale transforms them all. The women become transfixed with the story, and relationships evolve towards a deeper level of love, jealousy, hope, and tragedy.

Authors

• Nilo Cruz