Ross Valley Players' ANNA IN THE TROPICS Begins Previews Today

Ross Valley Players presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama ANNA IN THE TROPICS by Nilo Cruz.

Set in Florida at the start of the Great Depression, the play tells the story of workers in a Florida cigar factory who fall under the spell of a Russian romance novel.

ANNA IN THE TROPICS begins its run with a preview today Thursday, May 26th and runs through Sunday, June 19th. Opening night is Friday, May 27th at 8PM. For more information, visit www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

ANNA IN THE TROPICS is set in Florida in 1929 in a Cuban-American cigar factory, where cigars are still rolled by hand and "lectors" are employed to educate and entertain the workers. When a new lector begins to read aloud from Anna Karenina, he unwittingly becomes a catalyst in the lives of his listeners. The novel, which explores the nature of human desire, casts a spell over the workers, transforming their own yearnings through the life-affirming power of art. Tolstoy, the tropics, and the American dream prove a volatile combination in this passionate, romantic drama. ANNA IN THE TROPICS is directed by Mary Ann Rodgers.

The cast features: Santiago (Mark Albi), Cheche (Ben Ortega), Ofelia (Hallie Frazer), Marela (Neiry Rojo), Conchita (Regina Morones), Paloma (Rio Martinez), Juan Julian (William Bryant Jr.), and Eliades (Eugene DeChristopher).

Performances are Thursday, May 26th (Preview Night) through Sunday, June 19th, with Opening Night on Friday, May 27th at 8PM. Thursday performances are at 7:30PM; Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM; Sunday matinees at 2PM. (Please note there is no matinee on Sunday, May 29th).

All performances take place at the Barn Theatre, home of the Ross Valley Players - 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, CA 94957.

Ticket prices are $29 general admission with discounts for seniors and students available. Thursday night tickets prices are $25 for adults with discounts available. Pay-What- You-Will is on Preview Night - Thursday, May 26th ($10 minimum donation suggested).

Audience members are invited to participate in "Talkback" with the director and actors after the matinee performances on Sunday, June 5th and 12th. Buzz at the Barn, a pre-show cocktail hour with hors d'oeuvres and wine, will take place on Saturday, May 28th at 7PM.

To order tickets, call 415-456-9555, ext. 1 or visit www.rossvalleyplayers.com.

Now in its 86th year, Ross Valley Players, a non-profit arts organization, is the oldest continually operating community theater on the West Coast. Created in 1930 as a way to escape the hardships of the Depression, Ross Valley Players has introduced live theater to thousands of Marin residents over the years. Each year, RVP presents a regular season of six full productions, running a total of 30 weeks. RVP offers special events and short-term productions outside the regular season. Plays include recent Broadway material, popular plays, classic theater, and a selection of works by well-known playwrights from around the world. RVP features all genres: comedy, drama, mysteries, and musicals. Their Ross Alternative Works (RAW) program presents short run, minimal set productions of original scripts by Bay Area playwrights.

Pictured: William Bryant Jr. (Juan Julian), Neiry Rojo (Marela) and Regina Morones (Conchita). Photo by Gregg LeBlanc.

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