Fast-paced, energetic, and emotionally charged, ELIÁN takes us back to 1999, when a young boy was found on the shores of Florida clinging to his life. This is a story of hope that soon falls under the watchful eye of the 24-hour news cycle. We know the story ends with a boy in a closet, a gun pointed at him; but few of us know how it got to that moment. With explosive real-life personalities, gripping moments, and great compassion, ELIÁN pulls back the curtain and reveals how American democracy really works.
"ELIÁN is factually grounded, incredibly imaginative and impressively acted. Who knew a 'dramedy' about the Elián González custody battle could mix moving scenes with laugh-out-loud moments?" ⁠-⁠Christine Dolen, Artburst
"Fast-paced, touching, and at times hilarious ... Undoubtedly, live theater can heal. And, in this case, ELIÁN proves to be a cathartic experience ... [A] moving, riveting, and incisive play." ⁠-⁠Aaron Krause, Artzine
"The play has razor-sharp observations ... ELIÁN is not really about Elián. It's about the political, social and moral firestorm fueled by ego, pride and bureaucracy that created one of the community-defining incidents in Cuban-American history. Rogelio Martinez's play recognizes the dramatic collision of culture, politics, passion and the value of family. It respects a multi-level tragedy whose lasting legacy was to unite a somewhat disjointed Cuban-American community to the point of possibly being responsible for derailing Al Gore's run for the presidency." ⁠-⁠Bill Hirschman, Florida Theatre On Stage