The following is a conversation between Rob Ascher, dramaturg and Natalie Villamonte Zito, director.

Rob Ascher: What attracted you to Fornés’ play? 

Natalie Villamonte Zito: Letters from Cuba has been a play that I have wanted to work on for many years. I remember the first time I read it; I felt an immediate connection with it. I was drawn to its magic, the way that the piece plays with time, space, dreams and memory. It’s a way of thinking that makes sense to me and it works very well with my personal artistic aesthetic. Additionally, the theme of the connection and separation of family between two countries - that really resonated with me. As a child born to immigrants to this country, most of my family does not live in the States. I constantly feel the pull between two countries, in my case, 3 countries. There’s also something very special about the love in this play; the love between family, friends, and romantic passions. We have been living in such an isolated, anxious and saddened time… It felt to me like we really needed a play that focused on connection and love. 

RA: What led you to the alterations and additions you made to the play? 

NVZ: For me it was important to meet the current moment of our time, and of Cuba’s time. I wanted to play with the timelessness of the piece, recognizing that the troubles that have plagued Cuba in the past are still going on. There has also been a strong shift in sentiment in this country over the past 5 years regarding immigration and the separation of families. The play already shifts time and space, and because it does not give a set and locked timeframe of when this world is existing, I was able to lean into its shifting time and bring it into the now. It was also very important to me to incorporate the research, interviews, and work that I had done over this past summer. It was an honor to speak with so many Cubans and Cuban Americans from different generations, listening to their stories from different periods of history. Although I was not able to travel to Cuba because of COVID-19, I was able to be in Little Havana in Miami when the protests broke out this past summer. Being there and joining the protests in solidarity had a great effect on me.  

RA: Fornés’ play connects two disparate landscapes through fantasy sequences. Could you talk a little bit about how the play incorporates dreams into its reality? 

NVZ: Irene has a beautiful way of seamlessly going back and forth in time and space throughout the play. There is also this deep connection of spirit between Fran and Luis. Their connection defies all logic. So, there are moments in the play when they can hear one another even though they are hundreds of miles apart. There are moments where their spirits connect -- sometimes through song, sometimes through dance, and then through dreams. Dreams and daydreams are so powerful, your mind can go to a different place, a different realm… And if two people are having the same dream at the same time, they can connect in this alternate reality. This is how connected these two siblings are. It is quite powerful and extremely beautiful. 

RA: Fornés herself was a trained painter in the Abstract Expressionist school, in what ways is this play about art? 

NVZ: Art is extremely present in this play. All of the characters are artists in their own way and use their art to communicate or express themselves. Of course, Fran is a dancer, her roommates are poets, but we see this in Cuba as well. The characters sing, write and even little Enrique mentions that he has transformed a tin can into a cowbell that he uses to play music with his group. The art of music, dance, and poetry are ever present in this play… They are all constantly dancing with one another. 

RA: What about your interpretation of Fornés’ play is vital for the audience to consider? 

NVZ: That the power of love, connection, spirit, and art have the ability to turn a dreamworld into a reality. That all people have a right to liberty and freedom, and that no one should be separated from their family or loved ones. That borders are not real.