Anna in the Tropics
Encyclopedia
Anna in the Tropics is a play by Nilo Cruz
.
When Cuba
n immigrants brought the cigar
-making industry to Florida
in the 19th Century, they carried with them another tradition. As the workers toiled away in the factory hand rolling each cigar, the lector
, (historically well-dressed and well-spoken), would read to them. It was the lector who informed, organized and entertained the workers until the 1930s, when the rollers and the readers were replaced by mechanization
.
Ybor City, a section of Tampa
, was the center of the cigar industry, and it serves as the setting for Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
. The play premiered at the New Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida
and had to compete with Edward Albee
’s The Goat, or, Who is Sylvia?
and Richard Greenberg
’s Take Me Out for the coveted award.
Cruz, a Cuban-born playwright living in New York, quoted, “It’s wonderful. I cannot believe it. The other day I went to the bookstore and I saw a book by William Kennedy
. He won the Pulitzer for Ironweed
, which I adore. I was standing there looking at his books and thinking how amazing it was that this writer won a Pulitzer, and now I’ve been given one, too. I think I’m still in shock. I haven’t completely acknowledged the grandness of the award.”
His past works, such as Two Sisters and a Piano, have earned him a reputation for writing lyrical, atmospheric plays with powerful emotions and language.
Anna in the Tropics was honored with two nominations at the 2004 Tony Award
s. The show was nominated in the category of Best Play and Best Featured Actress in a Play (Daphne Rubin-Vega
)
Daniels will be meeting with Cruz in January 2011 to begin work on the screenplay. The film is represented by William Morris Entertainment.
Nilo Cruz
Nilo Cruz is an Cuban-American playwright and pedagogue. With his award of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play, Anna in the Tropics, he became the first Latino so honored.-Early years:...
.
When Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n immigrants brought the cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
-making industry to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the 19th Century, they carried with them another tradition. As the workers toiled away in the factory hand rolling each cigar, the lector
Lector
Lector is a Latin term for one who reads, whether aloud or not. In modern languages the word has come to take various forms, as either a development or a loan, such as , , and . It has various specialized uses:...
, (historically well-dressed and well-spoken), would read to them. It was the lector who informed, organized and entertained the workers until the 1930s, when the rollers and the readers were replaced by mechanization
Mechanization
Mechanization or mechanisation is providing human operators with machinery that assists them with the muscular requirements of work or displaces muscular work. In some fields, mechanization includes the use of hand tools...
.
Ybor City, a section of Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, was the center of the cigar industry, and it serves as the setting for Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
Recognition
Anna in the Tropics was widely regarded as a "long shot" for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, mainly because it had not been seen in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The play premiered at the New Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
and had to compete with Edward Albee
Edward Albee
Edward Franklin Albee III is an American playwright who is best known for The Zoo Story , The Sandbox , Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and a rewrite of the screenplay for the unsuccessful musical version of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's . His works are considered well-crafted, often...
’s The Goat, or, Who is Sylvia?
The Goat, or, Who is Sylvia?
The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, a play written by Edward Albee, premiered on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre on 10 March 2002 where it ran for 309 performances. A production opened in London in 2004....
and Richard Greenberg
Richard Greenberg
Richard Greenberg is an American playwright. He is the author of over 25 plays including eight South Coast Repertory world premieres: Our Mother's Brief Affair, The Injured Party, The Violet Hour, Everett Beekin, Hurrah at Last, Three Days of Rain Richard Greenberg (1958–present) is an American...
’s Take Me Out for the coveted award.
Cruz, a Cuban-born playwright living in New York, quoted, “It’s wonderful. I cannot believe it. The other day I went to the bookstore and I saw a book by William Kennedy
William Kennedy (author)
William Joseph Kennedy is an American writer and journalist born and raised in Albany, New York. Many of his novels feature the interaction of members of the fictional Irish-American Phelan family, and make use of incidents of Albany's history and the supernatural...
. He won the Pulitzer for Ironweed
Ironweed
Ironweed is a 1983 novel by William Kennedy. It received the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and is the third book in Kennedy's Albany Cycle...
, which I adore. I was standing there looking at his books and thinking how amazing it was that this writer won a Pulitzer, and now I’ve been given one, too. I think I’m still in shock. I haven’t completely acknowledged the grandness of the award.”
His past works, such as Two Sisters and a Piano, have earned him a reputation for writing lyrical, atmospheric plays with powerful emotions and language.
Anna in the Tropics was honored with two nominations at the 2004 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s. The show was nominated in the category of Best Play and Best Featured Actress in a Play (Daphne Rubin-Vega
Daphne Rubin-Vega
Daphne Rubin-Vega is a dancer, singer, and actress. She is best known for originating the role of Mimi Marquez in the Broadway musical Rent, and the role of Lucy, in the Off-Broadway play Jack Goes Boating.-Biography:Rubin-Vega was born in Panama City, Panama, the daughter of Daphine Vega, a...
)
Film Adaptation
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Academy Award nominee, Lee Daniels ('Precious') has signed on to develop a film based on the play—which is being produced by Mankind Entertainment.Daniels will be meeting with Cruz in January 2011 to begin work on the screenplay. The film is represented by William Morris Entertainment.
External links
- Anna in the Tropics at South Coast RepertorySouth Coast RepertorySouth Coast Repertory is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson and now under the leadership of Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei, is widely...
- Anna in the Tropics at L.A. Theatre Works which offered an audio broadcast version in September 2007 as part of its Play's the Thing series
- Long Beach Shakespeare Company produced Anna in the Tropics, Directed by Denis McCourt April/May 2011