To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the mise-en-scène of Adrián Rodríguez‘s seminal theatrical debut Cuban Operator Please, the CCCNY is presenting a stage reading of the play, the first in his trilogy The Union City Plays: An Intimate History of Exile. Written in a poetic blend of English and Spanish, the plot’s focus is on Abel, the U.S. born son of Cuban parents as he waits in his apartment for the news of the impending death if his father. This memory play speaks volumes about the strange, particular plight of many Cubans who flee their country for the USA, reflecting an honest and unsentimental portrait of their life in exile. Yet, as has been noted, playwright Adrián Rodríguez has also managed to balance an extremely personal story with the universal elements of family, identity, and mourning.
The Cuban-American cast will include Omar Hernández, José Antonio Pelayo, Julián Blanco, and Yoly González, two of whom were part of the original production by the Hudson Exploited Theater Company.
The stage reading will be followed by a conversation with the playwright about his theatrical trajectory, as well as a Q&A with the audience, led and moderated by Mayra McCarthy, director of our Theater Program.
The National Opera Center
330 7th Ave. (at 29th St.), NYC
At Scorca Hall, 7th Floor
FREE ADMISSION
SPACE IS LIMITED
To reserve a seat, write to: info@cubanculturalcenter.org
This stage reading is part of our CreateNYC Language Access Series on Cuban History, Art, and Literature. It will be bilingual.
Adrian is the author of numerous short stories and is currently working on several plays and participating as part ofthe writing team for West of the City. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned degrees in International Relations and Latin American Studies. He won a Minority Academic Career Fellowship for graduate work in Political Science at Rutgers University. He currently works as a High School history teacher in the New Jersey public school system and is an active member of the Fort Lee Education Association.
This event is presented in association with the Hudson Exploited Theater Company
And is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and made possible by the New YorkState Council on the Arts and the New YorkState Legislature.
With the promotional cooperation of
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