Arts Garage Presents “From Cuba, With Love”: One Man’s True Story of Cuba’s Peter Pan Exodus, Told Live on Stage
From Cube, with Love: The Story of a Peter Pan Kid
Boca Raton, FL – August 31, 2026 – A solo theatrical lecture and performance recounting the true story of Dr. Manuel Prestamo, one of more than 14,000 Cuban children sent alone to the United States between 1960 and 1962 as part of Operation Peter Pan, an effort by parents desperate to protect their children from Castro’s regime. Prestamo takes audiences through his riveting journey: from the fear and uncertainty of arriving in a new country alone at age nine, to finding belonging in Sarasota, Florida, to ultimately becoming an American Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. State Department and earning his Ph.D. from NYU. His story is poignant, at times comical, and ultimately inspiring, a reminder of resilience, hope, and the enduring immigrant experience that continues to resonate with audiences today. A Q&A with Prestamo follows the performance.
Dr. Manuel Prestamo: Sent to the United States alone on January 6, 1961 at age nine, Prestamo was raised by an aunt while his mother, sister, and grandmother remained in Cuba; his father passed away before the family was reunited. He pursued his love of the arts against early resistance, earning a full scholarship to college at 16 and a Ph.D. from NYU by 21. He went on to a decades-long career as a symphony orchestra conductor, youth orchestra advocate, college arts administrator, and actor. He wrote and premiered “From Cuba, With Love” in Orlando in 2019 to a sold-out, standing-ovation crowd. His honors include the Mary Beth Treen Award from South Arts and two Fulbright Scholar appointments, and his work has taken him across the U.S., Europe, Israel, and South America over a 40-year career.
Arts Garage is a Visual & Performing Arts Center in Downtown Delray Beach, Florida that delivers innovative, diverse, and accessible arts experiences to the South Florida community. From Grammy Award-winning musicians to renowned regional talent, Arts Garage showcases performers representing a wide variety of cultures. The Marshall Family Foundation Gallery at Arts Garage features exhibitions by emerging visual artists from South Florida and provides educational programs for adults and children to grow their talents and knowledge of the arts. Located at 94 NE 2nd Avenue in Delray Beach’s Pineapple Grove Arts District (33444), Arts Garage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported in part by the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County and the City of Delray Beach. For more information, call 561-450-6357 or visit artsgarage.org.