Theater has a strong cultural presence in Havana, Cuba, making it a location of theatrical interest worldwide. Historically and contemporarily, there have been significantly fewer women theatre directors than men. This book investigates some of the factors related to sexism that contribute to this reality through exploring the work of two contemporary directors and their mentors. 

Working with the theater critic & scholar, Vivian Martínez Tabares, I chose to study two Cuban directors closely: Nelda Castillo and Yailín Coppola. The choice was based on the fact that both directors have come from a similar lineage of teachers, mentors, & creators who have left a mark on contemporary Cuban theater, especially the director Flora Lauten. Castillo and Coppola are at distinctly different points in their careers and have their own unique leadership styles. I decided to explore the works of these two directors through an artist book that utilizes the metaphor of a sort of genealogical tree of theatrical knowledge. This allowed me to outline how these two directors came to the craft through their artistic educations, their life experiences, trainings, readings, roots, and aesthetic approaches to directing, while also highlighting other women in this history. 

This book was produced under the guidance of Vivian Martínez Tabares and was presented at the Alejo Carpentier Foundation , and then at Hampshire College, as part of the Hampshire in Havana exchange program. I give deep thanks to Vivian Martínez Tabares, Roberto García Suárez, Eduardo Hernández, Nelda Castillo, Yailín Coppola, Carlos Celdrán, Jaime Gómez Triana, & Aracelis (Gangy) García for their care, contributions, and assistance in making this book possible. 

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