THE COOK GOODMAN THEATRE
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The incident—along with Gladys’s cuisine and the intense memories it evoked—inspired The Cook, which explores the volumes of history and emotion hinted at in Gladys’s terse response. Premiered in 2003 at the Hispanic off-Broadway theater Intar (where Machado became artistic director in 2004), the richly flavored drama is now receiving its Chicago premiere at the Goodman in a fine staging highlighted by Karen Aldridge’s charismatic lead performance.
Forty years pass. Gladys keeps control of the house because her husband, Carlos—once Adria’s chauffeur—rises to a powerful bureaucratic post in Castro’s government. She keeps control of the house because she stays true to Adria’s memory—just as Carlos stays true to Cuba’s socialist ideals despite economic hardship and political oppression. She keeps control of the house—but at a terrible emotional cost, for in order to stay true to her promise she must betray others and endure others’ betrayal. She keeps control of the house—and turns it into a popular paladar catering to American tourists, including Cuban expatriates. She keeps control of the house—and awaits Adria’s return.
