Playwright Nilo Cruz won the Pulitzer Prize for "Anna in the Tropics" in 2003, but surprisingly few regional theater companies have opted to stage this work.
"As far as I know, this play has only been done one time in the county," said Eric Bishop, head of the MiraCosta College theater department and the show's director. "It's a play with a high-profile award. It's such a beautiful work that's so worth doing. We're excited to do the premiere in North County.
"But it's also a challenging script in terms of complexities of character and setting. Plus," he said, with a chuckle, "it requires cigar smoking on stage."
"Anna in the Tropics" is a revisioning of the Russian classic "Anna Karenina." It's set in a Cuban cigar factory in the late 1920s. This is before stereo systems or iPods, so the factory owner hires the good-looking and smart Juan Julian to read aloud to the workers. Ironically (or maybe not), he's reading "Anna Karenina."
It doesn't take long for all the women to begin swooning over Juan, especially Conchita, who is trapped in a passionless marriage. The story begins to change the workers, especially Conchita, who considers taking a lover.
"This is about a woman on a journey of self-discovery while trapped in a bad marriage," Bishop explained. "Her husband is cheating, and she has the courage to say 'I won't stand for this.' She goes to find herself, and in doing so, they find a way back to each other."
In Conchita's case, listening to Tolstoy's tale allows her not to make the same mistakes. That's where "Anna in the Tropics" takes off.
"Nelo Cruz has a writing style that's poetic in nature and brings out some stunning images," he said. "The story is compelling and incredibly bold. He writes about things that other playwrights would shy away from. He reminds me of a Latin Tennessee Williams."
Bishop assembled a large cast, many of whom have a Latin background
"We have so many students of diversity in the play," he explained. "We have students whose families are from Puerto Rico, Honduras, Venezuela, Mexico and Panama, so it was great to talk about where they came from. We also have students not of Latin American descent, but they felt a kinship with the culture."
The one aspect of the play that Bishop spent time on was the differences between that time period and now.
"Cuba is such a poverty-stricken country and they don't have the luxuries we do," he said. "It's interesting to see why music and dance was such a huge part of their lives. They were able to form bonds that we've gotten away from."
That message is one that Bishop hopes to impart to both the students and the audience.
"I hope this will motivate them to act in their own lives to enrich their communities," he said. "If that happens and they reach for their dreams, then this show is a success."
"Anna in the Tropics"
When: Friday through April 26; showtimes, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays
Where: MiraCosta College Theatre, 1 Barnard Dive, Oceanside
Tickets: $12, general; $10, seniors/staff; $8, students
Info: (760) 795-6615
Web: www. Miracosta.edu/events
