Trinity Rep Announces Casting For THE PRINCE OF PROVIDENCE

Trinity Rep announces that Chicago-based actor Scott Aiello, best known for his role of Tommy Barkow on the Showtime television series Billions will play Vincent "Buddy" Cianci in the highly-anticipated upcoming play, The Prince of Providence. The production will run September 12 - October 20 and is expected to sell out. Tickets will go on sale Saturday, August 10 at 10:00 am online and in-person at the theater.

The play is written by George Brant and is based on the New York Times best-selling book of the same name by Mike Stanton about the highs and lows of the career of former Providence mayor Buddy Cianci. Cianci was twice removed from office because of legal issues. He remains a polarizing figure locally and a well-known political figure nationally, in part because of the podcast Crimetown, which featured his story in its first season. The play will be directed by Obie-Award winning Taibi Magar, a Brown/Trinity alumna who has garnered international attention for her work.

In March 2018, Trinity Rep announced that they had obtained the underlying rights to the book The Prince of Providence from Stanton and subsequently commissioned Brant to adapt the book into a play. Brant's first commission for Trinity Rep resulted in Into the Breeches!, which debuted during the 2017-18 Season and has since been produced at theaters around the country. Trinity Rep commissioned and developed The Prince of Providence with support from The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

It was previously announced that Trinity Rep resident acting company member Rebecca Gibel would play the role of Sheila Cianci. Other actors in the production include resident company members: Stephen Berenson, Janice Duclos, Mauro Hantman, Phyllis Kay, Brian McEleney, Charlie Thurston, and Joe Wilson, Jr. Brown/Trinity MFA students Caitlin Duffy '20, Ian Kramer '20, Lindsey Steinert '20, and Nick Vicinzaro '20 will also join the cast. Also joining the ensemble is Erick Betancourt (Blue Bloods, New Amsterdam, For Life). Erick grew up in Providence, Rhode Island and worked at Trinity Rep for several years on the security staff before leaving to pursue acting. He returns to Trinity Rep for his role in The Prince of Providence.

Associate Artistic Director, Tyler Dobrowsky, said of Scott Aiello and the process of casting Buddy Cianci: "We were looking for an actor who could capture Buddy's charisma, his humor, his intelligence, as well as the more menacing qualities of the former mayor. We also wanted an actor who could convincingly play Buddy when he first gets elected mayor in his 30s, and then also play an older Buddy during his trial and last days in office. Scott was that actor. He stood out in a number of ways -- he is a Julliard-trained actor with a number of high-profile theater, film, and television credits to his name, so we knew he could handle a role of this size and importance, and in his auditions he really seemed to understand Buddy on a fundamental level. We're very lucky to have him."
Scott Aiello is a graduate of the Julliard School's Drama Division, as well as The Second City's Conservatory for Improv and Sketch Comedy. He has appeared in various productions, including Support Group for Men at the Contemporary American Theater Festival in 2019. He debuted his first full-length play Bernie and Mikey's Trip to the Moon in 2018 in New York City. He is known for his recurring guest roles on CBS' The Good Fight, Showtime's Billions, and TBS' The Last O.G. and has narrated over 100 audiobooks.

The Prince of Providence is one of the most anticipated theatrical events of the season and is expected to sell out. The show has been a driving factor behind significant growth in Trinity Rep's subscriber count. The number of new subscribers has more than doubled compared to previous years, as subscribers receive significant discounts and the best seats for this once-in-a-generation show. Subscriber tickets begin at $20 per show and final discounts may be as high as 75%.

Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 10. Tickets will be available online at trinityrep.com/buddy or in person at the Trinity Rep box office, located at 201 Washington St. The lobby will open at 8:30 am. Tickets will not be available by phone on August 10. Regular phone and walk-up service will resume on Monday, August 12 and tickets will be available online at any time for as long as they remain.

Group tickets to The Prince of Providence will go on sale on August 5 at 10:00 am. Groups of 10 or more can receive up to 25% off but seats are limited. Groups get specialized personal service and planning assistance. For more information, contact Group Sales Associate Ava Mascena at (401) 453-9238 or email amascena@trinityrep.com.

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