The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity - Off-Broadway

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.