Kristoffer Diaz is a playwright, dramaturg and educator, currently living and working in Minneapolis, where he is a 2009-10 Jerome Fellow. He was also one of the creators of Brink!, the apprentice anthology show at the 2009 Humana Festival of New American Plays.Although fairly new on the scene, Diaz is known for "trying new things" and "pushing dramatic theatre to the edge, giving it a new dimension" according to several reviews. He currently holds a BA from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, an MFA from NYU’s Department of Dramatic Writing, and an MFA from Brooklyn College’s Performing Arts Management program. "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" first premired during September 2009 at Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. It was a marvelous success and in less than a year, the play was off to the Big Apple running as an Off-Broadway show. It was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize (drama-2010) and is one of Diaz's most proclaimed full-length plays.
1. When I read a play, it’s like I’m watching a movie in my mind. I know this may not happen to everyone, but I’m just curious to see how you guys would approach this play if you had to direct it. Describe the set, the elaborate (or dull) entrances, time period (setting), mood, etc.
2. What do you think the acronym “THE” stood for in THE Wrestling and why do you think the play is titled “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” considering all the other elements in the play? Explain.
3. Pro wrestling is unique in many ways, so would you consider it a sport or a theatrical performance?
4. What role if any, do you think race and class play in the play?
5. Do you think that Chad Deity was just Chad Deity, another hyped-up, egotistic superstar or was he a symbol of something more? Explain.
6. EKO is the man at the top bunk, but if you ask me, he shouldn’t even have a bed. Anyway, describe his role and significance (if any).
7. I saw VP as an answer to a desperate man’s prayer because it seemed like he was a younger, much better version of Chad Deity; he was the toy that could move (and apparently, make his own moves). He had confidence in everything he did and he never failed so the guy was basically perfect. I guess what I’m trying to ask is how different do you think the play would be if VP’s mindset and actions were completely different.
8. Throughout the play, Mace is the man behind the curtains who does all the actual work; without him, this world would’ve fallen apart. Of course, it isn’t fair and Mace expresses this to the audience time and time again. Considering his background, how far he has come and the fact that he knows he’s surrounded by idiots (besides VP) and that the business is “unstable”, why do you think he chooses to constantly hold his tongue and go along with everything?
9. Near the end of the play, Deity gives his championship belt to The Fundamentalist (VP), who gives it to Castro (Mace). Castro is then kicked by The Fundamentalist who quits because there’s something “wrong” and he has to solve it. What do you think the problem was? Do you think this event helped Castro become Mace again?
10. At the end of the play (epilogue), VP and his “girl” watch Mace get his ass kicked…again, by America’s hero and the crowd cheers. The girl turns to VP and asks, “Why are they rooting for the bad guy?” I thought this was perfect, so what do you think Diaz was trying to portray with this ending?
11. Did this play, the Barthes reading, or any of the videos we watched in class (or that you watched on your own) change your perspective on pro wrestling? How?
12. Did you like the play? Why or why not? How successful do you think this play will be in the long run?
3. Probably surprising to most people, I watched wrestling as a child. I had vivid memories of my family gathering in the living room with a bowl of popcorn for WWE, and even holding our own living room matches. But unlike many people who have spoken in class, I always knew it was fake. Why then did my family tune in every week? The way I see it, wrestling is like some of our favorite "reality" shows, like "The Jersey Shore" and "The Real World." As we have learned from all the readings and youtube clips, there are definitely elements of wrestling that are true, like moments in these shows. After all, a cut is a cut. Still, it is scripted. That is why I would consider wrestling more theatre than sport. True, it has elements of both, but it is more like improv than boxing.
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