Anna in the Tropics

Opened: 16 Nov 2003
Written by Nilo Cruz
Starring: Jimmy Smits
Directed by: Emily Mann
Synopsis: Set 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.

What the critics had to say.....
BEN BRENTLEY of the NEW YORK TIMES says �Earnestly poetic play.� CLIVE BARNES of NEW YORK POST says �Moderately fascinating play.� HOWARD KISSEL of NEW YORK DAILY NEWS says �Too often, however, the production falls short of its poetic images.� ELYSA GARDNER of USA TODAY says �Most of what ensues is predictable, despite a few twists. � MICHAEL SOMMERS of STAR-LEDGER says "Graceful romance fulfills all expectations." MICHAEL KUCHWARA of ASSOCIATED PRESS says "A ripe, erotically charged production, beautifully acted" CHRISTINE DOLEN of THe MIAMI HERALD says "Vibrant"

External links to full reviews from newspapers

New York Times
New York Post
New York Daily News
USA Today
Associated Press