Two River Theater’s latest production,Two Sisters and a Piano, written and directed by Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz runs through June 25th.
The play is a passionate tale of revolution, art and dreams. Although trapped under house arrest, novelist Maria Celia and her sister Sofia can still hear the rumors of shifting global politics growing in 1990s Havana. As they await changes for Cuba as well as changes to their situation, it’s uncertain whether freedom will come through government regime change, Maria Celia’s far-off husband, or the charismatic military officer who has begun insinuating himself into the sisters’ lives.
Cruz, who spoke with WBGO News Director Doug Doyle, says the play is loosely based on the life of Cuban writer and activist Maria Elena Cruz Varela, who wanted changes and operated as an anti-Castro revolutionary within the system during the 1990’s. The moment in her life that most resonated with me was when the military went to her house, dragged her into the middle of the street and forced her to eat the manifesto her group had written. Cruz says he was dumbfounded by the violence and humiliation inflicted upon her. In this play, he adds the second sister to complement Maria – an artistic voice expressing the power of literature – the power of the word – and its seductive charm.
Nilo Cruz says he was also inspired by a moment in his own life in 1991.
"What was also intriguing to me as a writer was what was happening in the Soviet Union. The collapse of all those states. And what was happening in Cuba at the time. People were hopeful that the Cuban regime would also fall apart, but that did not occur. More than anything, this play, the reason why we are doing this play at this moment in time, I think there is so much censorship in this country right now. So many books are being banned, especially in the state that I come from which is Florida. So Two River thought this was important to bring this play back."
Cruz was born in Cuba in 1960. When he was just a baby, his father was imprisoned in Cuba for two years for attempting to leave the island. Thus, Nilo was largely raised by his mother, aunt, and two older sisters. Nilo and his parents emigrated to Miami in 1970, leaving his sisters behind. He has only returned to Cuba once, when he was 20, to visit his sisters who would eventually make their way to the U.S. many years later.
Cruz's critically-acclaimed play Anna in the Tropics dazzled audiences on Broadway and won his a Pulitzer Prize. His plays have mostly focuses on the lives of women. That's with good reason.
"It's what I witnessed as a child. These women, all of a sudden, had to face the daily needs of a household. That has also been an inspiration for all of my plays. Besides my mother and my grandmother, women have also helped me in nurturing my career. Basically all my mentors are women, from when I was in college, when I started in New York and also when I was a Brown."
Upon arriving in America, Cruz quickly learned English and began writing poetry in his teens. Why did he want to write an direct plays?
"It's a need. I was inspired by others writers as well. I started writing poetry and I felt the need to join a theater class and to start writing scenes and developing those scenes into plays. I didn't know if I had the talent, but I certainly had the need."
Cruz graduated with an MFA in Playwriting from Brown in 1994. Nilo's first play, Night Train to Boliña, premiered that year, when he was 34.
The four actors in Two Sisters and a Piano bring impressive stage, television and screen credits to the Red Bank stage. The cast includes Helen Cespedes as Sophia, Hiram Delgado as Victor Manuel/Militia Guard; Eden Espinosa as Marie Celia; and Jason Manuel Olazabal as Lieutenant Portuondo.
Eden Espinosa wowed Broadway audiences when she took over the role of Elphaba in Wicked. Cruz has enjoyed working with the talented cast and had especially high praise for Espinosa.
"Eden is a force of nature. For those of us who have seen her singing on Broadway, she is not only a great singer, she is a great actor. She hasn't had a lot of experience in dealing with straight plays, but she is dynamic and has all the tools her character demands."
You can SEE the entire interview with Nilo Cruz here.
