[6] Following an attack by the Venezuelan government during the production, Michel Hausmann left Venezuela and moved to New York City to pursue an MFA in Directing at Columbia University.
The production was directed by Hausmann and authored by playwrights Hilary Bettis, Nilo Cruz, Moisés Kaufman, Rogelio Martinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Carmen Palaez, and Aurin Squire.
Hausman commissioned the plays to playwrights Hannah Benitez, Harley Elias, Rogelio Martinez, Carmen Pelaez, Marco Ramirez and Aurin Squire, to be inspired by specific works by Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., Jenna Gribbon, Glenn Ligon, Kaari Upson and Kehinde Wiley.
[25] When preparing for a 2010 production of Jesus Christ Superstar in Caracas, Hausmann secured a sponsorship deal for US$300,000 (equivalent to $419,200 in 2023) with Research in Motion (RIM), makers of BlackBerry smartphones, and its cellular phone network partner, government-owned Movilnet.
[27] Leaked diplomatic cables revealed that, less than a month before opening night, the sponsorship pair added a clause stating that the production could not place advertising space – even with other cash – in a list of media outlets banned by RIM and Movilnet for being critical of the Chávez regime.