Eduardo Machado facts for kids

Eduardo Oscar Machado (born June 11, 1953) is a talented Cuban playwright. He lives in the United States. Some of his most famous plays include Broken Eggs, Havana is Waiting, and The Cook. Many of his plays tell stories from his own life or are about Cuba. Machado teaches playwriting at New York University. Since 2004, he has been the artistic director of the INTAR Theatre in New York City.

Eduardo Machado's Early Life and Journey

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 came without their parents as part of Operation Pedro Pan. This program helped Cuban children move 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.

Becoming a Writer and Teacher

Machado started acting professionally in California when he was 17. He became a member of the Screen Actors Guild at age 20. He studied acting in Van Nuys, CA. In 1980, he began writing plays. He learned from María Irene Fornés, a well-known playwright. He then moved to New York City in 1981.

Eduardo Machado first visited Cuba again in 1999. He has returned many times since then. He has taught playwriting at Columbia University. There, he led the graduate playwriting program. Now, he teaches at New York University, where he is also head of playwriting.

Notable Creative Works

Plays Written by Eduardo Machado

Eduardo Machado has written many plays. Here are some of his well-known works:

• Rosario And The Gypsies (1982)
• The Modern Ladies Of Guanabaco (1983)
• Broken Eggs (1984)
• Fabiola (1986)
• When It’s Over (1987)
• Once Removed (1987)
• A Burning Beach (1988)
• Don Juan In N.Y.C. (1988)
• Stevie Wants To Play the Blues (1990)
• In The Eye Of The Hurricane (1991)
• Kissing Fidel (2005)
• Cuba And The Night (1998)
• Havana Is Waiting (2000)
• The Cook (2003)
• Havana Journal (2004)
• Celia and Fidel (2020)

Films and Television Projects

Machado has also worked on films and TV shows:

• Exiles in New York: He wrote and directed this film. It was shown at several film festivals.
• Crossing the Border: He wrote this for famous actors Edward James Olmos and Oliver Stone.
• The Ship: This film was produced in 1990.
• He worked with Al Pacino on the film Scarface in 1981.
• He worked with Mira Nair on The Perez Family in 1992.

For television, he worked on:

• Jubans (1985)
• Home Free (1987)
• Her Name Was Lupe (1988)
• China Rios (1989)
• Hung (2010)
• Magic City
• Havana Quartet
• Tropicana

Books Published

• Tastes Like Cuba: An Exile's Hunger For Home: He wrote this book with Michael Domitrovich in 2007.

Teaching and Awards

Teaching Experience

Eduardo Machado has taught playwriting at several universities:

• New York University (since 2007)
• Columbia University (1991–2007)
• Sarah Lawrence College (1991–1993)

He also taught playwriting at:

• The New York Public Theater (1996–1998)
• Minneapolis Playwriting Center (1996)
• Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles (1993–1995)
• Dream Yard Drama Project For Teenagers in Harlem (1996–1999)

Recognitions and Grants

Machado has received many awards for his work:

• He was nominated twice for Best American Play by the Association of American Theater Critics (2001, 1994).
• He received the Berrilla Kerr Grant in 2001 for his contributions to American Theater.
• He won the National Theatre Conference Playwriting Award in 1995.
• He received the Rockefeller Foundation Playwriting Award in 1985.
• He also received grants from the National Endowment For the Arts multiple times (1981, 1983, 1986).

Involvement in Theater Groups

Eduardo Machado has held important roles in many theater organizations:

• Artistic Director, INTAR New York (2004-2010)
• Co-artistic Director, Cherry Lane Theater, NY (1999-2002)
• Artistic Associate, The New York Public Theater, NY (1996-1998)
• Artistic Associate, The Mark Taper Forum, CA (1992-1995)
• Artistic Associate, The Flea Theater, NY (1997-2000)

Directing and Acting Roles

Directing for Theater and Film

Machado has directed many plays, including his own and those by other writers. His directing work has been seen in theaters across the country. He also directed the film Exiles In New York.

Acting in Plays and on Screen

Eduardo Machado has acted in many plays by different playwrights. He has performed in theaters all over the country. He has also appeared in television shows like Maude, The Nancy Walker Show, and All In The Family. For films, he acted in The Champ and Pollock.

See also

• Cuban American literature
• List of Cuban American writers