Cuban crisis explored through theatre and urgent panel discussion in Berlin

A special event will combine theatre and discussion to explore Cuba’s ongoing crisis. Cuban theatre director and actress Roxana Pineda will perform an excerpt from the play Mother Courage: The Authentic and Imagined Diary of Cindy Sheehan at the Kantine. The performance will be followed by a panel on the island’s current struggles and potential solutions. The play by Dario Fo and Franca Rame draws on the experiences of Cindy Sheehan, a US peace activist. Sheehan camped outside President George W. Bush’s ranch in 2004 after her son died in the Iraq War. Her protest became a symbol of anti-war resistance.

Pineda, currently a sabbatical fellow at the Fondazione Fo e Rame in Italy, will bring the piece to life. The Panter Foundation, a partner of the Fondazione, supports the event through its Rest & Resilience Fellowship for artists and activists.

After the performance, a panel will examine Cuba’s deepening crisis. Experts describe it as the worst since the 1959 revolution, driven by the US embargo and internal economic collapse. Daily blackouts, shortages, and fears of military intervention have gripped the country.

The discussion will feature Cuban exiles in Germany: writer Amir Valle and journalists Mauricio Mendoza and Cynthia de la Cantera. Topics will include the state of media in Cuba, possible drivers of change, and the role of the diaspora in reforms. Journalist Bernd Pickert will moderate the conversation. The event highlights Cuba’s urgent challenges and the search for viable paths forward. It also offers a cultural moment to reflect on activism and resistance through Sheehan’s story. The Panter Foundation continues to provide support for artists and thinkers addressing pressing global issues.