June 12th, 2010 ~ The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity video with comments from Michael
Beyond Broadway: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
"Learn about the fiercely physical, hip-hop infused social satire."
Description
Macedonio "The Mace" Guerra is a middle rank wrestler who may have discovered his ticket to the big time: a charismatic, trash-talking Indian kid from Brooklyn whom he recruits as the perfect foil to the all-American champion, Chad Deity. But when their rivalry is used to exploit racial stereotypes in the name of ratings, all three men find themselves fighting for much more than the championship title.
Story What Is the Story of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity?
Since he was a child, Bronx-born fast talker Macedonio Guerra has had one thing on his mind: wrestling. Not your average, high school varsity team wrestling, mind you. Guerra is a patron of the highly televised, multimillion dollar phenomenon known as THE Wrestling, in all its pay-per-view glory. Guerra's childhood dreams come true when he's hired by THE Wrestling, though he quickly learns that life on the bottom rung of the entertainment ladder isn't all its cracked up to be--especially when it means suffering the daily insults and wisecracks of the wrestler at the top of the ladder, Chad Deity. When he stumbles upon a charismatic young athlete with the gift of gab during a basketball game in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Guerra thinks he may have found the antidote to THE Wrestling's stale plotlines and his own stalled career. But his protégé, Vigneshwar Paduar, has aspirations of his own--and his attitude may get all parties involved knocked out of the ring.
Should I see it? What Is The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity Like?
As anyone who's caught even a single pro-wrestling event knows, the key to winning an audience is action, action, action. While the play is a poignant socio-political satire (it was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist, after all), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity offers just that: hulking slabs of spandex-clad manflesh running down the aisles and onto a stage that's one part traditional theater, one part circus arena. Don't let the sparkles and skin dissuade you, however. For every faux-punch thrown, the play tosses out a comic gem or truly moving moment, providing a knockout combination of exciting live theater with a smart message. The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity is about way more than body slams.
Is The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity Good for Kids?
Professional wrestling has long been the stuff a child's dreams are made of, and there's plenty of it in this mash-up of play-meets-spectacle. However, much of the comedy depends on a basic knowledge of today's headlines, and all of the drama on an understanding of how racial and social stereotypes can wear down even the most confident individuals--not exactly child's play. Bright lights, loud music, fisticuffs and cursing are all woven into the production, making it inappropriate for very young viewers. Savvy tweens with a love of wrestling will find plenty of the play engaging, but the piece was clearly written with adult audiences in mind.
The Oprah Winfrey Show will come to an end in 2011, but before 'it's a wrap', who do you want to see sitting next to Oprah?
We always love hearing from our viewers so now it?s your turn to tell us who YOU want Oprah to interview before the show ends. Maybe it's someone she's never talked to? Or maybe it's your favorite guest you want us to invite back? A famous actor? A musician or a politician? An athlete? International icon? The cast from your favorite movie or TV show? You tell us ? they can be unexpected, notorious, head-turning, tear-jerking, headline-making...we want to know who you've always wanted on Oprah. Email us your ideas now!
Season 25 - Who Do You Want to See Oprah Interview?
Request the cast, crew and creators of this The Pretender! Let's raise awareness that we, the fans, still want closure for our favorite show!!
May 27th, 2010 ~ More favorable reviews
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity is a hit in New York and more favorable reviews are popping up everyday.
May 24th, 2010 ~ Michael attends Sex and the City 2 New York Premiere
With no performance of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity on Mondays, Michael attended the New York Premiere of Sex and the City 2 at Radio City Music Hall.
Here are some photos I've come across so far, they are small but nice nonetheless.
May 21st, 2010 ~ Many favorable reviews for "Chad Deity"
'Chad Deity' opens in New York
The Victory Gardens Theater production of "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" opened at New York's Second Stage last night, popping with a Chicago crew. It looks like it will be a hit. Broadway, perchance, is on the cards.
According to the IMDB, Michael is part of the cast of the new Sex and the City 2 film due out in US theaters May 27, 2010. The IMDB lists Michael's character as: Handsome man at wedding. Looks to me like another small part but it's a new project nonetheless. With any luck, hopefully when my friend visits me next month we'll get to go see it, and we will definitely report back!
May 16th, 2010 ~ A Careful Body Slam Is as Vital as Deft Dialogue
For the cast of "Chad Deity," a comic drama about identity politics and pro wrestling that opens at Second Stage Theater on Thursday, perfecting the phony wrangling in the ring has required skills they never contemplated in acting school. But refining each wrestling move has also been serious -- and sometimes injury-inducing -- work for the actors, given the production's ambitions to create the most physically theatrical metaphor on a New York stage this season.
You can read the complete article here which includes a comment by Michael about the play.
May 9th, 2010 ~ Playbill Cover for The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Click pic above to view larger image.
An Off-Broadway Cover Story: Gabriel and Chad Deity {excerpt}
Tuesday, May 9th, 2010
Second Stage Theatre is offering Kristoffer Diaz's The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, a Pulitzer Prize finalist set in the world of pro-wrestling.
In the show, "Macedonio 'The Mace' Guerra is a middle rank pro-wrestler who may have discovered his ticket to the big time: a charismatic, trash-talking Indian kid from Brooklyn whom he recruits as the perfect foil to the All-American champion, Chad Deity. But when their rivalry is used to exploit racial stereotypes in the name of ratings, all three men find themselves fighting for much more than the championship title."
The cast includes Terence Archie, Michael T. Weiss, Usman Ally, Desmin Borges and Christian Litke.
May 7th, 2010 ~ Promotional Video for Chad Deity added
Chad Deity arrives in NYC to bring his play "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" to Second Stage Theatre. Now playing through June 20th only! www.2st.com
May 5th, 2010 ~ Chad Deity Promotional Stills
Second Stage Theater has added some promotional stills to their website for the new play: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. Below are the ones that Michael appears in and you can find the rest on their website. Larger versions of the thumbs below can also be found here.
May 2nd, 2010 ~ Viewer Review of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Click pic to view larger image.
The actors that they selected to play their parts were PERFECT. They really left it all out there in the ring and it had a little bit of everything: comedy, drama, fantasy, reality, flare, racism. I mean... what more could you ask for? The ending is a bit abrupt, but it speaks to the reality of the businesss and the entity of a corporate machine, in general. --Dave Kim
Follow the play on Twitter.
So far, the audience seems to like it!
April 21st, 2010 ~ Photo Preview: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Click pic to view larger image.
Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will present the New York premiere of THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY, a new play written by Kristoffer Diaz and directed by Edward Torres. Preview performances begin on Tuesday, April 27 with an opening night set for Thursday, May 20 at 6:30pm. THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY will star Usman Ally, Terence Archie, Desmin Borges, Christian Litke, and Michael T. Weiss (NBC's "The Pretender").
April 13th, 2010 ~ Michael attends Atlantic Theater's Spring Gala
On Monday, April 12, the Atlantic Theater Company celebrated their 25th anniversary with a star-studded event at Gotham Hall. Proceeds from the Gala will benefit Atlantic Theater Company Productions and Arts Education. Michael was in attendance along with Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Johnston and many others. For larger versions of the thumbs below, click here.
The second production of Kristoffer Diaz's The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at the InterAct Theater has been nominated for a Pulitzer.
CHAD DEITY Named as Finalist for 2010 Pulitzer (& Other Cool News)!
Here at InterAct, we're always so proud when a play InterAct originally produced (or the 2nd production, in this case...) goes on to become a breakthrough hit for its playwright. It's happened on few occassions, most notably for InterAct's Playwright In Resident Thomas Gibbons, who saw over 30 national and international productions of PERMANENT COLLECTION and over 35 productions of BEE-LUTHER-HATCHEE since their World Premiere productions at InterAct in 2003 and 1999 respectively.
Now, we are especially pleased to report that Kristoffer Diaz's THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY was announced yesterday as one of the finalists for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Pulitzer.org describes the play as, "a play invoking the exaggerated role-playing of professional wrestling to explore themes from globalization to ethnic stereotyping, as the audience becomes both intimate insider and ringside spectator."
In addition to its Pulitzer nomination, CHAD DEITY is also gearing up for its Off-Broadway debut! Beginning April 27 and running through June 20, 2econd Stage Theatre will present the New York premiere of the play, directed by Edward Torres and featuring Desmin Borges (as Mace), Terence Archie (as Chad Deity), Usman Ally (as VP), Michael T. Weiss (as Everett K. Olson) and Christian Litke (as Billy Heartland). Visit 2econd Stage Theatre's website for information or to purchase tickets.
Finally, CHAD DEITY is currently receiving its 3rd production at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis, featuring Shalin Agarwal reprising his role as V.P. from InterAct's production. In its review, TwinCities.com said Shalin, "...has crack comic timing, and although he appears to weigh about half as much as Ansa Akyea, who plays Deity, Agarwal's crazed, charismatic confidence convinces you The Fundamentalist could take him."
Congratulations to both Kris and Shalin... Long live CHAD DEITY!
GALA COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
Carol B. Auerbach ˇ Jill Cohen ˇ Wolf Hengst and The Atlantic Board of Directors and Ensemble
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND
ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
Hosted by THE ATLANTIC ENSEMBLE
The Gala will feature appearances and tributes by a star studded crowd of Atlantic Theater Company Ensemble Members and friends including F. Murray Abraham, Woody Allen, Jonathan Cake, Bob Balaban, Jesse Eisenberg, Kathryn Erbe, Giancarlo Esposito, Siobhan Fallon, Clark Gregg, Jennifer Grey, Brian d'Arcy James, Kristen Johnston, Julianne Nicholson, Mary Beth Peil, Martha Plimpton, Duncan Sheik, Michael T. Weiss, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Mare Winningham and Frank Wood toasting the accomplished history of the award-winning Off-Broadway theater company.
6:30pm Cocktails
7:30pm Dinner
9:00pm Live Auction and Performance
Festive Dress
GALA TABLES OF TEN (10)
Choose to participate by purchasing
a table at the following level:
$25,000 25th Anniversary Gala Table and Season Tickets
($4,000 deducted for goods and services)
Premiere seating, opportunity to host artistic guest(s) at your table, All-In-One memberships for eight (8) table guests to experience Atlantic's 2010-2011 season, half-page credit in commemorative 25th Anniversary Gala journal and credit in Playbill
$15,000 Producer Table
($2,500 deducted for goods and services)
Preferred seating, quarter-page credit in commemorative 25th Anniversary Gala journal and credit in Playbill
$8,500 Partner Table
($2,000 deducted for goods and services)
Priority seating and credit in Playbill
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
Choose to participate by purchasing a ticket/tickets at the following level:
($200 is deducted for goods and services for each ticket)
$2,500 25th Anniversary Ticket(s)
Premiere seating with artistic guests, listing in Gala Journal and Playbill
$1,500 Producer Ticket(s)
Preferred seating, listing in Gala Journal and Playbill
$1,000 Partner Ticket(s)
Priority Seating, listing in Gala Journal and Playbill
All names will be held at the door.
No tickets will be mailed in advance.
Proceeds from the Gala will benefit Atlantic Theater Company Productions and Arts Education Outreach programs including "Atlantic for Kids" children's productions and Atlantic's in-classroom "Students and Educators" series, which serves over 3,000 New York City public school students annually. Atlantic's goal is to help teachers cultivate the next generation of theater artists, audiences, and most importantly, critical thinkers and writers.
April 4th, 2010 ~ Seen & Heard At the Drama Bookshop
Michael T. Weiss at The Drama Book Shop on April Fools Day, and he bought Scarcity and Impressionism.
Michael Terry Weiss is a Chicago born actor best known for playing the title role in the television program The Pretender and in the movie Jeffery. In addition to acting, Weiss is a mixed media artist and a playwright.
March 30th ~ Cast for "Chad Deity" Begins Rehearsals
Wrestling Will Be Center Stage at Second Stage
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre began rehearsing its prized new Second City import, Kristoffer Diaz's wrestling play, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, on March 30.
An incendiary mix of race, politics and hip-hop in the improbable arena of a wrestling ring, the play is Diaz's first produced effort. Critics loved it when it world-premiered in fall 2009 at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater; The script was picked Best Play of 2009 by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and TimeOut Chicago.
Eddie Torres, artistic director of Teatro Vista, did the direction (avoiding anything that smacked of "fight choreography") and will repeat the assignment in NYC.
Three of the original five-man cast will be reprising their performances. Desmin Borges, who was singled out for a star-making turn, is the play's narrator and perennial bad-guy-in-the-ring, Macedonio Guerra, aka The Mace. Usman Ally is the partner he discovers, a charismatic, trash-talking Indian kid from Brooklyn named Vigneshwar Paduar aka VP -- and together they form a tag-team of terrorists and go after the good guy of the title. The third original ring player is Christian Litke, who is the good-guy grist for their mill with names like Billy America and The Patriot.
Terence Archie, the Coalhouse Walker Jr. understudy in Broadway's recent Ragtime, plays the title character, the All-American world champion.
The ring announcer who bosses about all of the above, exploiting stereotypes in the name of ratings, is Michael T. Weiss, last seen in Broadway's Impressionism.
Previews will start April 27. Opening night is set for Thursday, May 20.
New York theatre's previous brush with a wrestling theme -- Claire Luckham's Teaneck Tanzi: The Venus Flytrap with Andy Kaufman and Deborah Harry -- was unhappy. It opened (and closed!) on April 20, 1983, at the Nederlander -- this after the theatre's seats had been expensively replaced with wrestling-arena pews. -- Harry Haun
March 23rd, 2010 ~ The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity Tickets and Information
Finally! Some news on Michael. He will be appearing in the new play by Kristoffer Diaz The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity as Everett K. Olson (a.k.a. E.K.O).
SYNOPSIS
A comic powerslam of a play, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity* is a theatrical event that dares to throw political correctness out of the ring. Macedonio "The Mace" Guerra is a middle rank pro-wrestler who may have discovered his ticket to the big time: a charismatic, trash-talking Indian kid from Brooklyn whom he recruits as the perfect foil to the All-American champion, Chad Deity. But when their rivalry is used to exploit racial stereotypes in the name of ratings, all three men find themselves fighting for much more than the championship title.
* The World Premiere production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity was honored with a 2009 Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award and was a finalist for the 2008 O'Neill Playwrights Conference, and subsequently won Arizona Theater Company's National Latino Playwriting Award.
About Michael's Character:
Everett (E.K.O.) is the boss who has a specific plan for the wrestling duo: put them onscreen as terrorists.
Take the 1,2,3,7,N,Q,R,W trains to Times Square - 42nd;
A,C,E trains to 42nd - Port Authority
About This Venue
Founded in 1979 under the leadership of artistic director Carole Rothman, Second Stage produces a diverse range of premieres and new interpretations of America's best contemporary theatre, including such productions as Coastal Disturbances, This Is Our Youth, The Good Times Are Killing Me, Jar the Floor, Saturday Night, Tiny Alice, Jitney, Crowns, Living Out, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and The Little Dog Laughed. The company's more than 125 citations include a 2002 Tony Award for Metamorphoses and the 2002 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work.
Show Opens:
May 20, 2010 Previews Start:
April 27, 2010 - May 19, 2010 Show Closes:
June 20, 2010
Exceptions
Wednesday, April 28 - no 2pm performance
Sunday, May 2 - 2pm and 7pm performances
Monday, May 17 - 8pm performance
Friday, May 21 - no performance
Wednesday, May 26 - 7pm performance
Thursday, May 27 - 7pm performance
Friday, May 28 - 7pm performance
USMAN ALLY (Vigneshwar Paduar aka "VP") appeared in the Chicago premiere of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. Other Chicago credits include Relatively Close(Victory Gardens Theater), Arabian Nights and Around the World in 80 Days (Lookingglass Theater), Celebrity Row (American Theatre Company), Tranquility Woods (Steppenwolf First Look), Public Enemy and American Ethnic (Remy Bumppo), and Weapon of Mass Impact (Red Orchid Theater). Regional Credits include A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings (Hippodrome Theatre, FL) and Around the World in 80 Days (Centerstage Baltimore and Kansas City Rep). A proud ensemble member of American Theater Company and StageLeft Theatre Company, he received his MFA in Acting (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Florida after receiving a BA in Theatre and Cultural Anthropology from Lewis and Clark College. Usman is originally from Pakistan, but was born and raised in Southern and Eastern Africa.
TERENCE ARCHIE (Chad Deity aka "Chad Deity") recently appeared on Broadway in the revival of Ragtime. Other credits include Camelot with the New York Philharmonic, Ellen Craft at the NY Fringe Festival, Romeo and Juliet at Harlem Classical, and Frederick Douglas Free and GWC Peanut Price, both at Urban Stages. He has appeared on television in "Law and Order" and "One Life To Live," among others. He is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts.
DESMIN BORGES (Macedonio Guerra aka "The Mace") is making his New York stage debut, reprising his role from the world premiere production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theatre. His regional credits include Boleros for The Disenchanted (Goodman Theatre), The Crossing and Little Uncertainties (Goodman Theatre Latino Festival), Elliot (A Soldier's Fugue) (Steppenwolf Garage), The Ascension of Carlotta (16th Street Theatre), The Buddy Holly Story (Mercury Theatre), Disney's Aladdin, Pippi Longstocking, the World Premiere of Esperanza Rising (The Children's Theatre Co. in Minneapolis), Freedom NY and La Posada Magica (Teatro Vista), and The Defiant Muse, I Sailed with Magellan. Film and Television credits include: Cherry, Milwaukee, Taco Mary, Viva El Mariachi, Good People, Between Two Suns, Evolution and "True Blood" on HBO. Desmin is an Ensemble Member of Teatro Vista and a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Born and raised in Chicago, CHRISTIAN LITKE ("Billy Heartland") is a professional actor/stuntman appearing in such films as The Dark Knight, Public Enemies, and Death of a President. He is also the host of the WWE's Fan Axxess Tour, Biggest Party of the Summer, and Wrestlemania Axxess. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago's theatre program he has been seen in such stage shows as True West, 3 Penny Opera, and Troilus & Cressida. Christian was in the world premiere production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theatre.
MICHAEL T. WEISS (Everett K. Olson aka "E.K.O.") recently appeared in Impressionism (Broadway), Scarcity (Drama Desk nom.; Atlantic Theater), Of Equal Measure (Center Theatre Group), Burn This and Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Huntington Theatre Co.), Look Back in Anger, The Taming of the Shrew. Film: Freeway (Sundance), Jeffrey, Bones, Until the Night, Iowa (Tribeca Film Festival; Midwest FF Best Actor Award), Net Worth, Marmalade. TV: starred in NBC's "The Pretender" portraying more than 50 characters, as well as numerous other series regular and guest star roles.
KRISTOFFER DIAZ's other plays include Welcome to Arroyo's and Guernica, which have been produced and developed at Victory Gardens Theater, American Theatre Company, The Orchard Project, Hip-Hop Theater Festival, The Lark, Summer Play Festival, Donmar Warehouse, and South Coast Rep. Diaz also was one of the creators of Brink!, the apprentice anthology show at the 2009 Humana Festival of New American Plays. He is a 2009-2010 Jerome Fellow, and a new playwright-in-residence at Teatro Vista.
EDWARD TORRES recently directed the world premiere production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity for Victory Gardens in association with Teatro Vista. As an actor he was seen in El Grito Del Bronx (Collaboraction Theatre/Goodman Theatre); The Cook (Goodman); and Massacre Sing to Your Children (Teatro Vista/Goodman) and Elliot, A Soldier Fuge (Rivendell Theatre/Steppenwolf). He has a BA in Theatre from Roosevelt University and an MFA in Film from Columbia College (Chicago). Mr. Torres currently serves on the Illinois Arts Council. He has served on the National Endowment for the Arts-Theatre Panel (2005-2007) and on the MAP Fund-Theatre Panel (2008). Directorial credits include: for Teatro Vista, The Show Host, Aurora's Motive (Jaime Pachino), Ambrosio (Romulus Linney); for Latino Chicago: Do Cocks Have Claws and Wings to Fly (Amparo Garcia) and Lolita De Lares (Migdalia Cruz). Mr. Torres has produced over 25 plays as Artistic Director of Teatro Vista over the last 12 years.
Currently, all of Michael's art that has been shown in the gallery of his Fine Art Website has been removed and replaced with the following message:
Gallery Under Construction
New artwork coming soon. Please check back.
So hopefully very soon we will get to see some of what Michael has been working on!
January 15th, 2010 ~ Update on Marmalade
Hi Karen,
Yes, I haven't updated my website. We're building a completely new one. We will be putting some scenes on YouTube very soon. And as soon as my new site is up and running we probably will make it available to purchase there as well. Even though it's been 5 years since making the movie and I still get mails and requests about Marmalade all the time.
Thanks for you interest.
Michael T. Weiss at The Drama Book Shop on April Fools Day, and he bought Scarcity and Impressionism.
Finally! Some news on Michael. He will be appearing in the new play by Kristoffer Diaz The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity as Everett K. Olson (a.k.a. E.K.O).