The Washington Post - 17.02.2020

the washington post

.

friday, february 21, 2020

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22

on stage

tony Powell

BY THOMAS FLOYD

E

duardo Machado left

Cuba for the United states

in 1961 as an 8-year-old

evacuated in operation

Peter Pan, shortly after Fidel Cas-

tro seized power. But no matter

how many times the playwright

returns to his native country, the

same fear washes over him as he

braces for his trip back to the

United states.

“A lways, when I’m about to

leave at t he airport, I have a panic

attack that they’re not going to let

me leave,” s ays Machado, 66, who

first went back to Cuba in 1999

and has since returned numerous

times. “What I always take back

from Cuba is that I’m still incredi-

bly connected, and there’s no way

I can ever run away from it.”

That connection is reflected in

Machado’s work, as most of his

50-plus plays — including “Celia

and Fidel,” which will have its

world premiere at Arena stage

later this month — focus on Cuba

in some form. That differentiates

him from nilo Cruz, his fellow

Cuban-born playwright whose

“exquisite Agony” is in produc-

tion at GALA Hispanic Theatre.

Although Cruz has gravitated to-

ward Cuba, his work is more

eclectic in subject matter. As an

immigrant who came to the Unit-

ed states on a Freedom Flight in

1970 when he was 10, Cruz feels

his Cuban American identity re-

mains an inherent aspect of his

creativity.

“[Writers] live a little bit more

on the periphery because we are

observers, and we must observe

in order to capture human com-

portment onstage,” s ays Cruz, 59,

see cuban on 23

Two playwrights amplify Cuban voices

Arriving in America as kids, Machado and Cruz

have carried their identity into their work

If you go

exquisite agony

gala Hispanic theatre, 3333

14th St. nw. 202-234-7174.

en.galatheatre.org.

dates: through March 1.

Prices: $30-$48.

Celia and Fidel

arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. Sw.

202-488-3300. arenastage.org.

dates: Feb. 28 to april 12.

Prices: $40-$115.

Robert M. Jimenez, above

left, plays Fidel castro, and

Marian Licha is his confidant

celia Sánchez in Machado’s

“celia and Fidel,” which

premieres later this month at

arena Stage.

arena Stage

Eduardo Machado says he feels

“incredibly connected” to cuba.

rob Klug

nilo cruz has also gravitated

toward cuba in his work.

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