The Long and Twisted Route to 'Islands' : Eduardo Machado attempts to address the Cuban American experience in a complexly plotted four-play drama. He succeeds only when he lets his characters go.

The last play, "Broken Eggs" is perhaps the most successful because the playwright is no longer explaining a culture, he is simply showing us a little of our own. As the characters stretch out on the stage in a Valium haze as one sings about the lost homeland, the toll of all of the political and personal upheaval is exacted in a sweet, sad scene. It's as if, having told his story, the playwright has finally rested and let the characters and their pain simply take over the stage.

* "Floating Islands," Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., Tuesday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Saturday-Sunday matinees, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Ends Dec. 11. $28-$35 for each part, $56-$71 for both. (213) 972-0700. Running time: Part One, 3 hours; Part Two, 3 hours. Miriam Colon: Maria Josefa, Manuela