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Michael Imperoli Stars in World Premiere of 'Chicken'
By: BWW News Desk Feb. 27, 2007
Studio Dante, founded in 2003 by Michael & Victoria Imperioli, will present the world premiere of Chicken, a new play by Mike Batistick and directed by Nick Sandow. This limited Off-Broadway engagement will play Wednesday, February 28 – Saturday, March 31 at Studio Dante (257 West 29th Street). Opening Night: Saturday, March 10 at 8:00 PM.
"Wendell's wife Lina is pregnant. His wayward best friend Floyd sleeps nightly on their couch. And as if things aren't stressful enough, he's under constant pressure to 'father' his messed-up neighbors in the Bronx. In an effort to get some money together, Wendell takes in a rooster to train for an illegal cockfight. As they discover that training a bird for a death match in Washington Heights is not for the feint of heart, this dysfunctional family comes to blows before the fight ever takes place. In this devilish comedy, playwright Mike Batistick investigates power, community and loss, and searches for grace in the most unlikely places," state press materials.
Chicken stars Imperioli (Emmy Award-winner for "The Sopranos," films such as Goodfellas and Malcolm X), as well as Sharon Angela (Baptism by Fire), Raul Aranas (Flower Drum Song, Mother Courage), Quincy Tyler Bernstine (A Small, Melodramatic Story), EJ Carroll (Kafka's The Castle), and Lazaro Perez (Chronicle of a Death Foretold, A Streetcar Named Desire).
Playwright Mike Batistick's credits include Port Authority Throw Down (Culture Project and the Working Theater, Fall 2006), Ponies (Studio Dante, Fall 2004), Flag (Hangar Theatre, Summer 2006) and Bodega Lung Fat (Public Theater's 2003 New Work Now! Festival). He was a two-year Juilliard Playwriting Fellow and is a graduate of Fordham University in the Bronx. He is a member of MCC Playwrights' Coalition, Ars Nova Play Group, the recipient of a 2007 NYSCA grant, and is currently under commission from the Atlantic Theater Company.
The production includes set and costume design by Victoria Imperioli and lighting design by Tony Giovannetti, both Studio Dante resident designers.
Photo - Michael Imperioli
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