Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz
Event details
When
from 04:00 PM to 05:30 PM
Where
Contact Name
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Nilo Cruz’s play, Anna in the Tropics 
presented by the Office of the President, the Diversity and pluralism Committee, and the York College Theatre
To kick off the opening-night of Anna in the Tropics
at York College, playwright Nilo Cruz, will make a special appearance
and presentation about his play and his career as a Cuban-American
artist/playwright.
Winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this lyrical and romantic story is an ode to great literature and a time gone by. Set in 1929, this play tells the story of a family of cigar workers whose lives are changed by the arrival of a new lector who reads Anna Karenina to the workers. The spirit of Tolstoy’s novel affects each character, and with each chapter, new desires and jealousies erupt in the factory. Even the novel’s deadly love triangle starts to play itself out. The play raises the dichotomy of a time when the sound of a human voice reading poetry is about to be replaced by the percussive sound of a factory full of machines.
Under the direction of Timothy J. Amrhein, this production will
feature the evocative set designs of David T. Jones, built by York
College students under the direction of CLT Robert Barnes. It
also features the period costumes of guest designer, Jennifer Raskopf
and the vivid lighting of guest designer, Paul Hudson. CLT,
Jessica Pecharsky, member of Actor’s Equity Association, rounds
off the list as production/stage manager.
The cast of Anna in the Tropics
features York College students: Joseph Grasso (Douglaston) as Santiago,
Bency Pierre (Bellmore) as Cheché, Linda Mendivel (Jamaica) as
Ofelia, Staci Ishmael (Valley Stream) as Marela, Francis Madi
(Hempstead) as Conchita, Devon Phillips (Brooklyn) as Palomo, Erick
Avila (Bronx) as Eliades, and Bijan Daryan (Bayside) as Juan Julian Rio.
This event will be followed by the performance of Anna in the Tropics at 5:30pm. Performances continue running on Saturday, October 18, at 8pm; Sunday, October 19, at 3pm; Tuesday, October 21, at 12 noon; Friday, October 24 at 8pm; and Saturday, October 25, at 2pm. All performances will take place in the intimate, 156-seat York College Little Theatre in the Performing Arts Center (94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11451). All tickets are $5.00 and can be purchased at the door or ahead of time beginning October 01, 2008 between 3pm and 5pm, M-F at the Performing Arts Center Box Office. For more information, contact the York College Performing Art Center (718) 262-5375
