the elaborate entrance of - Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

WELCOME
MY ROOTS, MY REVOLUTION – this powerful rallying cry is the theme
of our 2012-13 season. It says, in effect: I claim who I am, where I
come from, all the things that are packed inside me, my ethnicity,
heritage, culture, upbringing, values. And I claim my own vision of a
world I want to bring about, even if it requires struggle and sacrifice.
Above all, it says these two things are connected: my inner being and
my personal revolution are fused, and I could no more deny one as
deny the other.
Our season is filled with tremendous humor, colorful locales, a rainbow
of perspectives, and great depth of feeling. Its characters trace their
roots to Puerto Rico, India, Korea, Africa, Russia, Maine, California,
and outer space. But all of them contribute to the melting pot that is
America. Their revolutions may be as tiny as a family vacation or as
big as a whole new form of art.
We begin with a play set in the unlikeliest of places: a wrestling ring.
Kristoffer Diaz’s hip hop-inspired The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
uses the larger-than-life world of professional wrestling as a metaphor
for the marketplace of America. When we buy a ticket or a video game
or album, the play asks, what values and images and stereotypes
are we buying into? Who is on top and who is on the bottom in these
stereotypes? Is there any way to change this and still satisfy the
hungry crowd?
Woolly’s brilliant artists will pour their hearts and souls into questions
like these throughout the coming season. But you complete the
process. Our work onstage, beyond its sheer entertainment value,
is intended to raise timely questions; and we encourage you to
pick up the conversation. There are post-show discussions after
every performance of Chad Deity. There are provocative activities
in the lobby, in-depth forums in our House Lights Up series, lively
perspectives on woollymammothblog.com, and opportunities to
express your views via e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter.
Your involvement and support gives meaning to everything we do
at Woolly Mammoth. Thanks for being here, and we look forward to
seeing you throughout this Woolly season.
Howard Shalwitz Jeffrey Herrmann
Artistsic Director Managing Director
What Makes Woolly Unique?
For 32 seasons, Woolly Mammoth has built
a reputation as “Washington’s most daring
theatre company” (The New York Times) and
has become one of the most influential new
play theatres in the nation. By throwing the full
might of our producing power behind risky new
work, we’ve helped launch the careers of major
American playwrights including Sarah Ruhl,
Nicky Silver, Amy Freed, and Danai Gurira. We
maintain our own company of artists, and we
frequently collaborate with other companies
to expand our skills and our impact. Most
importantly, we work in partnership with our
audience to try new theatrical innovations and
explore their relevance to our city and our world.
Your response—in person or online—helps
shape the future of American theatre. Please
email us at discussion@woollymammoth.net.
connect with us!
For additional content connected to Woolly’s
productions, check out:
• Woolly Blog: woollymammothblog.com
• Twitter: @woollymammothtc #WoollyChad
• Facebook: facebook.com/woollymammothtc
• Email: discussion@woollymammoth.net
special thanks
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Al Snow
Jamin Olivencia
KJ Sanchez
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Karen Evans
Black Women Playwrights Group
Paige Hernandez
Thomas Little and Kerry Choe, FUNRGaming