Wilbury Group Presents THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY, Now thru 2/9

The Wilbury Group announces the RI premiere of Kristoffer Diaz's Pulitzer Price nominated play The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity tonight, January 23-February 9, 2013. Winner of the 2011 Obie Award for Best New American Play, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity slams together thrilling spectacle, incredible characters, and geopolitical allegory into a uniquely invigorating theatrical experience.

Through an exciting partnership with New England's largest independent wrestling organization, Top Rope Promotions, Wilbury Group Artistic Director Josh Short stages Kristoffer Diaz's thrilling spectacle of wrestling, hilarity and social commentary. Exploring the larger than life world of professional wrestling, THE Pro Wrestling's "jobber-to-the-stars" Macedonio "Mace" Guerra (Jo An Peralta) has been the fall-guy for mega-successful THE Wrestling, losing again and again to the impossibly charismatic champ, Chad Deity (Amos Hamrick). When Mace discovers young Indian-American Brooklynite Vigneshwar Paduar (Ben Gracia), whose charisma rivals that of the champ, Mace decides to get him a job in the company. Only problem is, THE boss Everett K. Olsen (Vince Petronio) has a very specific plan for the duo: put them onscreen as terrorists..

"We're thrilled to be able to introduce Providence to the incredible talent that is Kristoffer Diaz, and we couldn't be prouder to be among the first few companies in the country to produce The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity," says Wilbury Group Artistic Director Josh Short. "Inspired by Diaz's love of wrestling, hip-hop and theatre, combined with a powerful message, it's exactly the kind of exciting, accessible, and ambitious play that The Wilbury Group loves to tackle. As we continue to grow into our space at the Butcher Block Mill, we're continuously looking for ways to push ourselves to becoming an important part of the revitalization of Olneyville and the West Side of Providence."

"It's been incredible to see the crowds that The Wilbury Group has brought to the Butcher Block and businesses on the West Side since they've begun performing here," says Butcher Block Mill owner and supporter of the arts Rachel Rafaelian. "Refurbishing this mill and turning it into a major center for the arts has always been a dream, and we couldn't be happier to see The Wilbury Group, and our other resident artists, turning it into a reality."

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity runs January 24 through February 9 at the Butcher Block Mill, 25 Eagle Street, Providence RI. Tickets: $20-$25; preview performances (January 24-27) just $15-$20. Discounts for groups of 10 or more, students and seniors. Tickets at 401-400-7100 or thewilburygroup.org.

In wrestling, as in life, behind every winner lies a really excellent loser. This smart, hilarious powerslam of a play from Pulitzer Prize nominee Kristoffer Diaz features Macedonio "The Mace" Guerra, a middle rank Puerto Rican pro-wrestler who's made a career of being that loser. He thinks he's found his ticket to the big time in a charismatic Indian kid from Brooklyn whom he recruits as the perfect foil to wrestling star Chad Deity. But when their wrestling rivalry is used to exploit racial stereotypes to raise ratings, Mace wonders: is swallowing his integrity too high a price for the rewards of the media spotlight?

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity had its world premiere in 2009 at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago before moving to Second Stage in New York. In addition to a finalist of for the Pultizer Prize, this thrilled new work by playwright Kristoffer Diaz has already been lauded with the 2011 New York Times Play Prize, the Obie Award for Best New American Play and theLucille Lortel Award for Best New Play.

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity runs January 24 through February 9 at the Butcher Block Mill, 25 Eagle Street, Providence RI. Tickets: $20-$25; preview performances (January 24-27) just $15-$20. Discounts for groups of 10 or more, students and seniors. Tickets at 401-400-7100 or thewilburygroup.org.

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