When Joseph Papp, the nation's leading impresario of serious drama, decided to produce Cuba and His Teddy Bear at New York City's Public Theater, stage veterans gaped at the good fortune of Playwright Reinaldo Povod, 26. A product of Manhattan's turbulent Lower East Side, Povod had never before even written a full-length play. Envy turned to astonishment when Papp announced the show would star Oscar Winner Robert De Niro in his first stage effort since 1970's One Night Stands of a Noisy Passenger. The seven-week off-Broadway run sold out in three hours. After Cuba began previews last month, the Public started...
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