Debuting too will be three short pieces called Tres en Uno or Three in One. First up is Yo Prefiero a Caballero (I Prefer Caballero), a short play by Christie Sanchez, which takes place in the day room of a Little Havana activity center as two lifelong friends plan their funerals. Will it be Caballero or Rivero funeral home? As the discussion progresses, the friendship begins to unravel into a comic farce of stories, secrets, and misperceptions. Julio O'Farrill's comedy Esto No Tiene Nombre (This Defies Description) revolves around a conversation between a bossy, loudmouthed Cuban wife and her henpecked husband, who remains anonymous behind the sports page. Closing the trilogy is writer/composer/actor Jorge Hernandez's Canciones Que Rompen La Rutina (Songs that Break the Routine), a medley of Cuban standards from son to bolero that incorporates poetry, humor, and narrative.

After an intense opening play, it's not surprising that center honchos chose a lighthearted trio of works for the new year. As executive producer Vivian Ruiz explains: "2002 was tough on many levels. We want to start out 2003 with something that will make people laugh."

miaminewtimes.com | originally published: January 9, 2003
Enero 2003