HER FIRST REVOLUTION: A New Musical

HER FIRST REVOLUTION is a new work exploring revolution, resistance, love, and survival, told through music, dance, and magical realism.

ABOUT THE SHOW

Set against the final years of the Cuban Revolution and the political turmoil of America in 2019, Her First Revolution follows Alex, a young Cuban-American survivor of a school shooting who escapes to Cuba to reconnect with her long-estranged grandmother.

Through magical realism, she is transported to 1956, where she meets Celia Sánchez Manduley, the formidable revolutionary often described as the woman behind Fidel Castro.

As Castro and Che Guevara return from Mexico to overthrow dictator Fulgencio Batista, Alex is thrust into the heart of the Cuban Revolution. Amid guerrilla warfare, unexpected love, and devastating loss, her ideals are tested as she confronts the violence and moral contradictions of fighting for a better world.

An ambitious score infused with infectious Afro-Cuban rhythms gives way to dance theater, the fascia of the piece. Moving between past and present, Her First Revolution illuminates the deeply human stories behind political upheaval and the enduring tension between revolutionary ideals and their consequences.

ABOUT THE CREATORS

Napua Davoy is a Columbia Records recording artist and recipient of Pan Asian Repertory Theatre's Lilah Kkan Red Socks Award for Theatrical Excellence for Stella Rising.

Mark Hampton is the playwright of Full Gallop, scheduled for a revival starring Patti LuPone at MTC, with previews beginning in January 2027.

THE COMPANY

• Erick Sánchez - Fidel Castro / Che Guevara
• Alissa Finn - Aleida March / Fulgencio Batista
• Mia Cusianovic - Alex Rodriguez
• Sofia Forero & Nicholas Fiery - Featured Dancers
• Napua Davoy - Celia Sánchez, Pianist, Musical Director & Narrator

Join us for a special developmental digest presentation, offering an intimate look at this new theatrical work, followed by a Q&A and reception with the artists on Saturday, November 21, 2026. Doors open at 6:00 PM, with the performance beginning at 6:30 PM at The Starr Foundation Hall at The New School.

Admission is donation-based, with all proceeds supporting continued development.