Eduardo Machado facts for kids

Eduardo Oscar Machado (born June 11, 1953) is a talented Cuban playwright. He lives and works in the United States. Some of his most famous plays include Broken Eggs, Havana is Waiting, and The Cook.

Many of Eduardo Machado's plays are about his own life. They often explore themes related to Cuba. He shares his knowledge by teaching playwriting at New York University. Since 2004, he has also been the artistic director of the INTAR Theatre in New York City.

Biography

Eduardo Machado was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1953. His parents were Othon and Gilda Machado. In 1961, when he was eight years old, Eduardo and his brother Jesus moved to the United States. They were part of a program called Operation Pedro Pan. This program helped many Cuban children come to the U.S. during the early years of Fidel Castro's rule.

Eduardo lived with his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Hialeah, Florida. Later, his parents were able to move to California. In California, his parents had three more children: Jeanette, Gilda, and Michelle. Eduardo is still a Cuban citizen. He has had a U.S. green card since he first arrived.

Machado began acting professionally in California when he was 17. By age 20, he joined the Screen Actors Guild. He studied acting in Van Nuys, CA. In 1980, he started writing plays. He learned from the famous playwright María Irene Fornés. He then moved to New York City in 1981.

Eduardo Machado first went back to Cuba in 1999. He has visited his home country several times since then. He has taught playwriting at Columbia University. He was even in charge of their graduate playwriting program. Now, he leads the playwriting program at New York University.

Eduardo Machado's Works

Eduardo Machado has written many plays, films, and TV shows. His stories often explore Cuban culture and life.

Plays

Machado has written over 40 plays. Some of his most well-known works include:

• Broken Eggs (1984)
• Havana is Waiting (2000)
• The Cook (2003)

His plays have been performed in many theaters. These include The Ensemble Studio Theater in New York and The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Broken Eggs even toured throughout Cuba in 1997.

Films

Eduardo Machado has also worked in the film industry.

• He wrote and directed a film called Exiles in New York. This movie was shown at several film festivals.
• He worked on the script for Crossing the Border.
• He also worked with famous actors like Al Pacino on Scarface (1981). He also worked with Mira Nair on The Perez Family (1992).

Television

Machado has contributed to television shows too.

• He worked on a pilot for CBS called Jubans in 1985.
• He was a story editor for the HBO series Hung in 2010.
• He also worked on Magic City for Starz and Havana Quartet.

Books

Eduardo Machado co-wrote a book called Tastes Like Cuba: An Exile's Hunger For Home. It was published in 2007. This book shares his personal stories and connection to Cuba.

Teaching Career

Eduardo Machado is a dedicated teacher. He has taught playwriting at several major universities.

• He has been a professor at New York University since 2007.
• From 1995 to 2007, he was the head of playwriting at Columbia University.
• He also taught at Sarah Lawrence College.

He has taught playwriting courses at other places too. These include The New York Public Theater and the Mark Taper Forum. He even worked with teenagers through the Dream Yard Drama Project in Harlem.

Awards and Honors

Eduardo Machado has received many awards for his work.

• He was nominated twice for Best American Play. This was by the Association of American Theater Critics.
• He received the Berrilla Kerr Grant in 2001. This award recognized his important contributions to American Theater.
• He won the Rockefeller Foundation Playwriting Award in 1985.
• He also received grants from the National Endowment For the Arts multiple times.

Leadership Roles

Eduardo Machado has held important leadership positions in the theater world.

• He was the Artistic Director of INTAR New York from 2004 to 2010.
• He also served as Co-artistic Director of the Cherry Lane Theater in New York.
• He was an Artistic Associate at The New York Public Theater and The Mark Taper Forum.

Directing Work

Eduardo Machado is also a director. He has directed many plays, including his own. He also helps new writers bring their stories to the stage. His directing work has been seen in theaters across the country. He also directed his film Exiles In New York.

Acting Work

Before becoming a well-known writer and director, Eduardo Machado was an actor.

• He appeared in plays by many famous playwrights.
• He performed in theaters like INTAR and The Magic Theater.
• On television, he appeared in popular shows like Maude and All In The Family.
• He also acted in films such as The Champ and Pollock.

Memberships

Eduardo Machado is involved with several important theater organizations.

• He has been a Board Member of Theater For a New City since 1995.
• He was also a Council Member for the Dramatists Guild.

See also

• Cuban American literature
• List of Cuban American writers
• List of Famous Cuban-Americans.