Conchita continues to view the beginnings of their relationship romantically, but Palomo insists that he married her because of an unnamed obligation he owed to her father. Osenlund, Kathryn, Review of Anna in the Tropics, in CurtainUp,http://www.curtainup.com/annainthetropics.html (accessed November 8, 2004). Anna in the Tropics Nilo Cruz, Author, Reginald Rose, Author La Theatre Works $25.95 (0p) ISBN 978-1-58081-334-1. Ofelia hopes that the lector will be able to detect the gardenia she wears in her hat. The women have a playful argument about Conchita's paisley dress which, Ofelia says, makes her daughter look like an old woman. Willingly or not, all the characters absorb Anna Karenina , and their lives are changed by it. She describes what it was like making love to the lector as though he were her husband. Santiago does not believe that this is the sole reason for his brother's discomfort, and Cheché responds by saying that he still thinks of his Mildred, his wife who ran away with the previous lector. abandon old traditions force the owners of the cigar factory to adopt new, progressive manufacturing methods if they wish to stay in business. Santiago declares that Juan Julian shall stay. It also creates an evolution and realization of the power of art--how art can alter the beat, the murmurs, and the energy of the human heart. Juan Julian is a man who appreciates the revitalizing power of nature, and he contemplates it at every opportunity. Encyclopedia.com. [citation needed] 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? Palomo, a cigar roller, is Conchita's husband. . When Palomo admits to liking love stories, Cheché stands alone. The play is set in Ybor City, a section of Tampa and the center of the cigar industry. Ashamed of his actions, Santiago admits to having been a fool. To drive home her point, she cites an episode from Anna Karenina in which Anna's husband becomes suspicious of an affair; Conchita tests Palomo's ability to comprehend the example. As Nilo Cruz convincingly demonstrates, life in a cigar factory was hard because it was subjected to so much uncertainty and doubt, but that is not to say that it was without its pleasures. He prefers to live in the country, where he can celebrate the "verdure of nature." Anna in the Tropics study guide contains a biography of Nilo Cruz, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The very act of smoking a cigar." "This time I'm betting my money on the factory," he says. Levin is a wise and judicious man who makes sound business decisions. For years the habano has been considered the epitome of what a good cigar should be. Juan Julian accuses Palomo of trying to have him fired, but Palomo says that he's curious to know how the novel ends, so Juan Julian shouldn't take his actions personally. The romantic drama deals with a family of cigar makers whose loves and lives are played out against the backdrop of America in the midst of the Depression. Because Palomo is torn between wanting to hear the lector read from Anna Karenina and wanting to be rid of him for conducting an affair with his wife, Palomo alternately supports and undermines Cheché's proposal, thus forming one side of a triangle in the battle for control of the factory. Ofelia believes that all lectors have been unfairly blamed as a result of Cheché's experience. She quotes a line from the book: "If there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts. Juan Julian and Marela flirt and philosophize with each other as they discuss the many types of light that exist in the world. Anna in the Tropics (Original, Play, Drama, Broadway) opened in New York City Nov 16, 2003 and played through Feb 22, 2004. Style The author traces the history of tobacco in Cuba from Columbus's arrival to the modern day. Juan Julian becomes involved in an adulterous affair with Conchita even though he knows that Palomo is aware of his wife's infidelity. 20, September 2003. As the lector reads from Anna Karenina, a novel of adultery set in nineteenth-century Russia, he casts a spell over the workers, transforming their passions and desires through the affirming power of art. One of the first observations Juan Julian makes upon arriving at the factory is that there are no hills or mountains near Ybor City; the landscape is flat, creating a sky that "seems so much bigger … and infinite" than the one he knew in Cuba. Conchita changes the subject by asking Palomo if he likes the novel that Juan Julian is reading to them. "I don't know why I married you," Palomo tells Conchita. Juan Julian would become the new Lector to read to the Cuban-Americans while the work in the hot and humid conditions. Conchita defends the need for a lector at the factory because, in her Characters Performance Dates and Times. View All Characters in Anna in the Tropics. Marela is so entranced by the story of Anna Karenina and her lover Vronsky that ", Unable to tolerate her parents' bickering anymore, Marela leaves. "And not only did she lose her man," warns Conchita, "she's gone to hell herself." In the beginning, all was positive, there is anticipation for the arrival of the new Lector. The Tainos wandered about naked, their bodies decorated with colorful dyes made from earth, and they lived in homes constructed of thatch and Royal Palm. She closes the book before he grabs her by the arm. and women who are often too stubborn to speak directly to each other, as is the case with Santiago and Ofelia, the owners of the factory. Another scene in which an intermediary facilitates communication occurs in act 2, scene 3, when taking shortcuts, and he shows Marela some of the faulty cigars she has wrapped. Othello (1604) has often bee…, EDWARD ALBEE 1975 If you had lost me, I wouldn't be by your side." Despite strong opposition from his family and the rest of the factory workers, Cheché wants to modernize the cigar factory's operations with machinery that will perform production tasks more efficiently. Juan Julian concludes by suggesting that Cheché, whom he addresses as "Señor Chester," spend more money on advertising rather than machines. The two share nothing more than a caress before they say goodnight. Marela admits to feeling "awful," albeit more from fear that the spell will not work than from regret for having cast it. His The Beauty of the Father was also set to premiere at the New Theatre and at the Seattle Repertory Theatre during the 2003–2004 theater season. Luckily, FreeBookSummary offers study guides on over 1000 top books from students’ curricula! Conchita takes delight in telling her husband details of her love affair because she believes that Palomo still has a mistress. According to Anstey, Cheché should be because he, not Juan Julian, acts as the strongest catalyst within Anna in the Tropics. Cheché confesses that he can no longer tolerate working at the factory because every attempt he makes at modernizing production is turned away. (From the New Theatre Web site) "It was terrifying," she says, because "everything seemed so recognizable, as if he had known me all along." CHARACTERS Research the history of several cigar brands, identifying any literary associations that may exist. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/anna-tropics, "Anna in the Tropics Santiago proudly removes the new cigar from his shirt pocket and makes a short speech telling everyone about the product's specifications. "And there are no lectors and no good-for-nothing love stories," he adds. Author Biography As a result, Conchita experiences Anna's confusion and suffering. [citation needed], Anna in the Tropics was honored with two nominations at the 2004 Tony Awards. In Marela's opinion, Teodoro didn't have the emotional fortitude to be a lector, for he "couldn't take the love stories … the poetry and tragedy in the novels." Eliades, the bookie and promoter of the contests, calls out the names of the combatants as Santiago and Cheché make their wagers. For the original production, Rafael del Acha was the Artistic Director and Eileen Suarez was the Managing Director. The previous lector succeeded Teodoro as lector upon the latter's death. Dozens of cigar labels and art are reproduced within the volume, recreating a historical record of a bygone era. When Cheché wins the first time, Santiago tells him, "You're a lucky man. Anna in the Tropics is a play by Nilo Cruz. Cheché makes some insinuating comments about how the women have fallen under the spell of yet another love story, saying that "For some reason I never hear the story the same way that you do"; but they refuse to let him spoil the enchantment and enthusiasm they feel now that a professional lector is in their midst. Who was José Martí? ", Pascual Torino wears a handkerchief around his neck as he wraps cigars at the factory. Juan Julian lives his life in accord with the environment surrounding him, as evidenced in a discussion with Marela, in which Juan Julian acknowledges that there are many different types of light that bring the world into focus. He accuses Marela of The play Anna in the Tropics harkens back to a time long since forgotten, when the cigar factories of Ybor City were bustling with activity and immigrants held hopes of a better future. Describe the role ritual plays in the daily life of the cigar factory workers. His sexual orientation remains ambiguous, yet he seems possessive of Conchita whenever they are among other workers, especially Juan Julian. Conchita then warns her sister against casting spells. Ofelia explains the love triangle that prevents Levin from winning Kitty's love. Marela is Ofelia and Santiago's youngest daughter. Dazed from the attack, Marela is further devastated when she learns of Juan Julian's death. They go on to say that Cheché holds something of a grudge against all lectors because his wife ran away with the last one the factory hired because she became so enamored with the romantic tales he told. The love triangle, modeled after the example of Anna and her two lovers, is employed to great effect within the play, for characters involved in such a relationship embody the romantic stereotype of tragic lovers seeking escape and eternal union. Palomo wants to know more about Anna's lover, especially about what made Vronsky become interested in her. "Anna in the Tropics" is a self-aware adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," the drama of which drives the drama of the play. Kiger, Jennifer, "Reinventing History: Playwright Nilo Cruz Rolls History, Literature and Romance into a Pulitzer Prize–Winning Drama," in South Coast Repertory Playgoers Guide, http://www.scr.org/season/03–04season/playgoers/anna/nilo.html (accessed November 8, 2004). Though Santiago has been secluded in the family home, he can see the positive effect the lector's reading has had on the workers. The last novel he read was Wuthering Heights. SOURCES Cheché stands his ground, however. "We have to remember to keep our feet on the ground and stay living inside our shoes and not have lofty illusions," concludes Ofelia. The women conjecture about the characters' actions, experiencing their problems vicariously. Palomo wants to know if her lover reads to her, and Conchita says that he does when she looks sad. "And it's terrible sometimes." He seduces Cheché's wife Mildred with love stories and runs away with her. In an effort to mollify his wife's wounded sensibilities, Santiago comments on the new lector's performance, though he does not mention him by name. "In the country one has freedom." Conchita, aware that her suspicion about her husband's sexual orientation may indeed be correct, says, "Then nothing makes sense to me anymore." In the opening act, when Ofelia and her daughters stand at the docks waiting for the lector to arrive, Marela informs her mother that she has written the lector's name on a piece of paper and placed it in a glass of sugar water to increase the chances that he will accept Ofelia's offer of employment. ", Palomo opens the book and looks at Conchita as he prepares to read a passage about Anna Karenina's husband and an important decision he has reached. Ofelia and her daughters do everything within their power to hire a lector for the factory because they know that the workers depend upon the lector as a source of information about the world. Santiago becomes engrossed in the action, raising his bets impulsively while Cheché takes a more cautious approach. CRITICISM The kind of culture in Anna in the Tropics is Cuban American and the article “Once a Cigar Maker: Men, Women, and Work Culture in American Cigar Factory” [1] provided strong evidence for this assumption. Palomo explains his interest by saying that it stems from the "old habit" of listening, but Conchita does not accept this explanation. Her honest student smash on Juan Julian and her wearing of an outfit to copy Anna Karenina at the plant party upgrade Marela’s helpless feelings. Ofelia is responsible for bringing Juan Julian to Ybor City from Cuba, having paid for his fare with money she took from her husband. Ofelia and Santiago arrive, and Santiago too wonders where his brother is. Santiago turns the subject to Levin again, asking Ofelia about the woman whom he loves, Kitty. Anna in the Tropics By Nilo Cruz Director's Concept Ofeila says to Marela, “That’s why the writer describes love as a thief. Palomo, on the other hand, shifts his loyalty as the mood suits him. Juan Julian begins by reading a passage about a duel. For her, literature offers a way of learning about the world. Santiago: The proud owner of the cigar factory. "You look beautiful," he tells her just before Juan Julian joins them. Ofelia and her daughters (and, later, Santiago) understand that the best way to improve the work environment at the factory is to hire a lector who will educate and inform them as he maintains a tradition rich with cultural history. Anna in the Tropics is a poignant and poetic 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. Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Anna in the Tropics takes place In Ybor City, Florida in 1929. Carmela is the palm reader who tells Marela that Juan Julian, a professional lector from Cuba, will come to their factory to read for them if she sweetens his name with sugar water. The community grew in size until, by 1890, it had reached a population of 5,500 and was incorporated into the municipality of Tampa as Ybor City. After admitting that the lector reminds him of his wife, Cheché tries to kiss Marela, but she pushes him away, warning him to never touch her again. "I don't like men," Palomo answers as the sound of a gunshot and laughter reverberate. On the opposite side stand out the people better at mathematics, whom might be judged as having a shallow reality, but are very practical. Ofelia says that taking a vote is "the American way," but Santiago fails to comprehend her logic. They were exiles who wanted Cuba's independence, and they would have been killed if they stayed there. Ironically, she is exactly the type of person whom Juan Julian refers to when he says that people are switching from cigars to cigarettes to emulate the stars they see on screen. A "southern belle from Atlanta," Mildred is Cheché's wife who ran away with the cigar factory's previous lector. The ruthless businessmen, the government representatives, the lector fired even though he were her does. 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