Anna in the Tropics -- by Nilo Cruz (2003)

Description
Anna in the Tropics is unique for several reasons. First, it is one of two plays that I know of for this project that did not premiere in New York. It premiered in Florida. Second, it is one of two plays that was written by a Hispanic playwright. Third, it is the only play that centers on Hispanic culture.

Cruz's play takes place in 1929 Tampa, Florida. The blurb puts it best:

"Anna in the Tropics is a poignant and poetic new play set in 1929 Florida 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."

The play has only 8 characters: Santiago, Cheche, Ofelia, Marela, Conchita, Palomo, Juan Julien, and Eliades. These characters respond differently to the Tolstoy novel; they reflect and refract themselves in the novel's characters.

The Broadway production included Daphne Rubin-Vega and Priscilla Lopez.

Candid Reactions

• I read "The Alphabet of Smoke" before reading the text, and I am glad that I did. 
• The braiding technique of the first scene is effective. 
• I love how Cruz does not just braid the first two stories, but he braids the dialogue within each story.
• The parallels in the first two stories create some great foils. 
• Marela is a romantic. It is fitting that her words reflect this. 
• When Marela is told that her dreams need measuring, she responds, "Then I will need a very long yardstick. The kind that could measure the sky" (29). How beautiful!
• These characters are so analytical. 
• Santiago states, "I try to repeat everything I did the day I won" (40). This statement is powerful to me. Here we realize how acting consistently does not always yield the same results each time. 
• The hair scene at the end of Act One is powerful. 
• Juan Julien asserts, "So you see, Chester, you want modernity, and modernity is actually destroying our very own industry. The very act of smoking a cigar" (53). Mic drop. 
• What is going on with Cheche and Marela?
• Oh no . . . not these gunshots . . . 
• What does it mean exactly when Marela notes, "But we are all blind in the eyes of those who cannot see" (77)?
• It had to end that way, I suppose.  

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
1. The Curse of Modernity
I remember in college how one of my professors mentioned the importance of the appearance of trains in pastoral paintings. I believe we were reading Faulkner's "The Bear," and the professor was explaining how artworks started to incorporate the clash of technologies and nature in the early 20th century. In this play, Cruz directly comments on the downsides of having machines takeover the roles of cigar-makers. In some ways, the commentary was ahead of its time, seeing as the play is set in 1929. With the advancement of technology comes the endangerment of humanity, Cruz poses. That statement is one for our times.

2. Representation of Hispanic Culture
I am not saying that the play was awarded the prize simply because the author had a Hispanic background because the play is expertly written; I do contend that the need for Hispanic representation was increasingly obvious.

Classroom Implications
I am not sure I would feel 100% confident using this text due to a few moments in the play. It could be used for an AP course, perhaps, to focus on narrative structure, fig. language, and theme.

Personal Takeaway
Representation matters.

Ranking

	Dialogue	Characters	Plot/Conflict	Symbol/Literary Devices	Overall Enjoyment	TOTAL SCORE 8.0
0	Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character	Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity	Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping	Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story	Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1	Not consistently realistic (1.5)	Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity	Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points (1.5)	Devices somewhat enhance story	Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work (1.25)
2	Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters	Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity (1.75)	Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping!	Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation (2)	Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically