Anna in the Tropics
by Ground Floor Theatre

Aug. 12 - Aug. 27, 2022
Thursdays-Sundays

 

Anna in the Tropics (winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama) is a poignant and poetic play set in Florida in 1929 in a Cuban-American cigar factory, where cigars are still rolled by hand and “lectors” are employed to educate and entertain the workers. The arrival of a new lector is a cause for celebration, but when he begins to read aloud from Anna Karenina, he unwittingly becomes a catalyst in the lives of his avid listeners, for whom Tolstoy, the tropics, and the American dream prove a volatile combination.

 

Shimmering with passion and poetry, the lush romantic drama Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz embodies a family of cigar makers whose loves and lives are played out against the backdrop of Depression-era America. It's set in Ybor City (Tampa) in 1929. Cruz celebrates the search for a new identity and a new land weaving the tale of a Cuban-American cigar factory with the arrival of a new “lector” who casts a spell on the workers, transforming their passions and desires through the affirming passion of art. 

 

Review by Bob Ableman for the Austin Chronicle, August 18, 2022

Review by Cliff Cunningham, Sun News Austin, August 22, 2022

Review by Sabrina Wallace, Austin Broadway World, August 25, 2022

 

 

Starring Ben Bazán as Juan Julian, Davis Segura as Santiago, Tonie Knight as Ophelia, Cherry Mendoza as Marela, Briana Garcia as Conchita, Michael Galvan as Palomo, and Ranferi Salguero as Cheché.

 

"This is one of the most beautiful and challenging scripts I’ve had the pleasure of directing. The cast is as incredible as the story, and we cannot wait to share this gorgeous work with our community near and far," said director Carl Gonzales. 

 

The  production team includes scenic design by Maggie Armendariz, lighting design by Jacqueline Sindelar, costume design by Desireé Humphries, graphic design by Erica Moreno along with Kellan diDonato as technical director, Andy Grapko as intimacy director, and Remy Joslin as production stage manager.

 

 

 

 

 

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Anna in the Tropics
by Nilo Cruz
Ground Floor Theatre

Performances are ugust 12–27, 2022, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 5:00 PM.

The “First Friday” performance on August 12 includes a reception. There's one Wednesday industry performance on August 24 at 8:00 PM.

Ground Floor Theatre, 979 Springdale Road, Austin, TX at the corner of Springdale and Airport.  

Ground Floor Theatre believes in “theatre for everyone” regardless of ability to pay, so tickets are always Pay What You Can. Suggested ticket prices are $25 for general admission and $45 for VIP. VIP seating includes a reserved seat, a glass of bubbly and the assurance of helping GFT keep the Pay What You Can policy.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at groundfloortheatre.org/anna.