Virgilio Piñera (1912 – 1979) was a Cuban poet, novelist, and playwright, who is considered the founder of Cuban modernism. Piñera’s literary output included more than 20 plays, three novels, volumes of short stories, and a vast number of poems. He is best known for his avant-garde theater. His most autobiographical play, and his most famous, AIRE FRÍO (COLD AIR), opened in Havana in 1962 and met with disapproval by the Castro regime. Thereafter, his plays were no longer performed in Cuba.