Avatar Star Makes NY Theater Debut in
THE AWESOME DANCE
Previews begins September 2 at The Cherry Pit
Dileep Rao (Avatar, Drag Me To Hell and the July release Inception with
Leonardo DiCaprio) will make his New York Theater debut in the World Premiere
of Nick Starr’s THE AWESOME DANCE. Produced by Speranza Theatre Company
and directed by Malinda Sorci, previews begin September 2 at The Cherry
Pit. Opening night is set for Wednesday, September 8.
THE AWESOME DANCE is a dark comedy that follows four souls through multiple
lifetimes. In the first scene, three women seeking a Guru's
grace are caught in a fanatic’s quest for glory. Later, a man's wife and
sister accidentally force him into the path of a distracted driver on the
day of his father's funeral. Next, two women waiting for their adoptive
child to be born discover a disturbing truth about the birth mother. And
finally, a man pursuing the love of a woman he barely knows must first
fulfill a terrifying demand. Can four souls bound by lifetimes of mutually
inflicted pain find peace?
In addition to Rao, THE AWESOME DANCE also stars Julie Cavaliere and Rachel
Cornish. Additional casting and the design team will be
announced shortly.
THE AWESOME DANCE was written under the advisorship of Christopher Shinn
at The New School for Drama where it received its initial
workshop production. The play also received readings at The Blank Theatre
in Los Angeles (Noah Wyle, Artistic Dir. ), and at The Barrow
Street Theatre as part of the 2009 Fortnight Festival.
Dileep Rao co-starred in James Cameron’s Avatar as Dr. Max Patel opposite
Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine. His film credits also include
featured roles in Drag Me to Hell (Sam Raimi), and Inception (Christopher
Nolan). His theater credits include Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink (American
Premiere, American Conservatory Theater), Making it (World Premiere, South
Coast Repertory Theater), Charles Mee’s A Perfect Wedding (World Premiere,
Kirk Douglas Theater) and Fetes de la Nuit (World Premiere, Berkeley Repertory
Theatre) and the national tour of The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife. A
native of Los Angeles, Rao is a graduate of the University of California,
San Diego and holds an MFA from A.C.T.
Nick Starr’s play The Songs of Forgettance won a 2004 LA Weekly Award..
He received his MFA in playwriting from the New School for Drama and teaches
screenwriting at SUNY New Paltz. He was an artist in residence at The Center
Theatre Group. His play 1000 Blinks A Minute will also be produced by theNest
in New York City this Fall.
Speranza Theatre Company was founded in 2008 by Francesca Bove, Rachel
Cornish and Heather Wahl. It is a collective group of alumni from the MFA
Acting Program at The New School for Drama. Speranza subscribes to an actor-director-playwright
collaborative approach to story-telling. Through risk-taking projects
that respond to societal issues, Speranza will work to spark audience curiosity
and cultivate emerging artists.
For more info visit http://www.speranzatheatrecompany.com.
THE AWESOME DANCE runs September 2-25, Wednesday - Saturday at 8pm with
a special matinee (and post-show picnic) on Sunday, Sept. 5 at 5pm. The
Cherry Pit is located at 155 Bank Street between West & Washington
Streets (accessible from the A.C.E trains at 14th Street).
Running time is 70 minutes. Tickets are $18, available at 212-352-3101
or http://www.TheaterMania.com.