Outside the Game at IATI Theater

A Cuban poet faces censorship, coercion, and exile in this gripping play about memory, truth, and the cost of survival.

Outside the Game brings to the stage the story of Cuban poet Heberto Padilla and the political scandal that shook the international literary world.

Set between Havana, imprisonment, and exile, the play explores Padilla’s confrontation with censorship, state power, and the pressure to publicly betray himself and those closest to him. Moving between history, memory, and theatrical reconstruction, it asks what happens when an artist’s words become evidence and survival demands a performance of guilt.

The production stars Pablo Andrade as Heberto Padilla, Nairoby Otero as Belkis, and Nate Betancourt as the Comrade.

Written by acclaimed Cuban playwright Abel González Melo, translated into English by William Gregory, and directed by Arnaldo Galbán, Outside the Game receives its English-language premiere with this production.

Scenic and costume design by Rodri Hernandez Martinez, lighting design by Emmanuel Delgado, and sound design by Gaurav Mishra (Enyn).

Presented by THE OTHER’S Theatre Project with support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC).