Eduardo Machado’s Cuban Delight Offers Taste of Revolution

by Barry David Horwitz

For the play of a lifetime, don’t miss “The Cook.” Playwright Eduardo Machado takes us on a thrilling trip through Cuban history—from the 1958 Revolution to today. This stunning production portrays the effects of U.S. politics on Cubans’ lives, particularly the U.S. blockade that has gone on for 60 years.

Machado’s taut, breathtaking dialogue, the sharply defined acting, and David Mendizábal’s precise direction serve up top-notch theater. Director Mendizábal uses comedy as a brilliant garnish.

“The Cook” time-travels from the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959, to Castro’s Cuba 12 years later, and then to a chilling reunion after 40 more years.

Machado explores competing ideologies, especially the point of view of a talented household cook, Gladys (commanding Yesenia Iglesias). Iglesias’ Gladys is a modest, idealistic woman, vulnerable yet powerful in her kitchen table politics. As a touching Cuban she-roe, she is the beating heart of the play.

Scenic designer Tanya Orellana’s brilliant setting of a wealthy Cuban family’s state of the art kitchen centers the story. Here, Gladys prepares a banquet for her obscenely rich employers. We can almost taste the terrific tamales Cubano as they boil and steam above aqua tiles.

When Gladys’ boss, the spoiled Adria Santana (chilling Gisela Chípe) flees Cuba for Miami in her mink stole, she manipulates Gladys with a hug. As her boss, Adria leaves Gladys “in charge” of the family’s lavish Havana mansion, an act that reverberates through decades.

As Gladys’ husband Carlos, a disgruntled chauffeur, Daniel Duque-Estrada offers a masterclass in character study. Duque-Estrada’s Carlos evolves from the Batista-Mafia era to the Revolution in full bloom, then to a shocking conclusion. Gladys and Carlos meet the revolution in radically personal ways—revealing their deep-seated opposition.

Duque-Estrada makes a wonderfully sneering and cynical chauffeur, who depends entirely on Gladys, his wise and witty wife. He evolves into a petty bureaucrat under Castro, verbally abusing Gladys. In Act Three, Duque-Estrada shines as an old man still learning to appreciate his confident wife.

The Revolution has not treated women and gay folks with dignity or respect. In fact, Gladys is forced into a cruel choice about her gay cousin Julio (magnificent Ashton Muñiz), who meets a terrible fate.

The story of Gladys and Carlos depicts working Cubans caught in the meat-grinder between Castro and the U.S. with cruelty on both sides. Gladys keeps the impressive old house in pristine shape, finally turning it into a Cuban restaurant for tourists as a way to survive.

In Act Three, as Gladys ages gracefully, a terrible personal awakening befalls her. A nosy tourist arrives from Miami to photograph the pristine mansion. In an unforgettable scene, the surprise visitor sports the comic vulgarity of a clueless Florida Cubana.

The tourist’s hilarious “superior” attitude brings a touching and enlightening twist to Gladys’ decades of loyalty. Everything changes suddenly in this masterpiece and these superb actors keep us on the edge of our seats.

In a climax that cuts to the heart, Gladys and Carlos’ daughter Rosa (powerful Georgina Morillo) shows how to confront the past. Rosa takes on the political and cultural war between the U.S. and Cuba. “The Cook” asks: Why does the U.S. have to play the Bully? Can one culture really dominate another—whether it’s communism or capitalism?

“The Cook” gives us some spellbinding answers, wrapped in theater magic. I suggest getting right on over to Berkeley Rep for a once in a lifetime story—a banquet of Cuban delights!

“The Cook” by Eduardo Machado, directed by David Mendizábal, scenic design by Tanya Orellana, costumes by Toni-Leslie James, lighting by Mextly Couzin, sound & music by Mikaal Sulaiman, at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Info: berkeleyrep.org – to October 11, 2026.

Cast: Gisela Chípe, Daniel Duque-Estrada, Yesenia Iglesias, Georgina Morillo, and Ashton Muñiz.

Banner photo: Gisela Chípe and Yesenia Iglesias. Photos: Ben Krantz Studio