Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended
"... Diaz’s spirited sports satire —which at times goes too far out of its way to explain its themes and point of view —receives a thoroughly rousing staging by director John Vreeke, an incredibly well-cast five-guy ensemble and a design team that transforms Woolly Mammoth Theatre into an infectiously boisterous venue on the professional circuit. It is, in fact, when the architecture of the wrestling ring itself descends from the Woolly stratosphere that the drama’s most elaborate and exciting entrance is achieved."
DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended
"... A culturally explosive knockout is in the ring as Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company launches its 33rd seasion: My Root, My Revolution with the Pulitzer Prize Finalist play The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. Written by Kristoffer Diaz and directed by John Vreeke, this power-balling, drop-kicking main event show takes place against the lights and sounds of the show-stopping arena that is professional wrestling. Following the story of Mace, the underdog fighter fall-guy for the charismatic figure head Chad Deity, a world of cultural revolutions is revealed as the protagonist explores his history, his heritage and how it has all culminated to his life and profession in the present. It’s a heart-stopping, action packed, raw and gritty story that will take you through a world of change by the time it’s finished."
Washington Examiner - Recommended
"... If you find most theater tame and are not afraid to admit that you're drawn to professional wrestling on television, you should head to the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, where Kristoffer Diaz's satirical "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" is now playing. Set in that hyper-energetic television wrestling world, "Chad Deity" takes place on an unconventional set. Misha Kachman transforms the Woolly Mammoth space into something that feels more like an arena than a theater."
Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended
"... Director John Vreeke orchestrates his five actors (the fifth is James Long, a professional wrestler himself, who plays several of VP's antagonists) with skill and balance, never letting the situation become too absurd and making sure the human beings stay visible behind the outrageous posturing. While the entire cast is solid, Russotto, the only Woolly Mammoth regular, surprises with his slicked white hair, his raspy voice, and the joy he takes in his own vulgarity."
Washington City Paper - Highly Recommended
"... Given the way professional wrestling blends sport and showbiz—even if it’s hardly a one-to-one mixture—it’s a wonder more satirists haven’t chosen to play within this milieu. In Chad Deity, playwright Kristoffer Diaz plows this fertile field for all it’s worth, finding gargantuan laughs and genuine pathos in the fixed-price, anything-goes, made-for-TV bastardization of wrestling. No wonder the play has received dozens of productions since 2010, when it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. I didn’t see any of Chad Deity’s earlier mountings, but it’s tough to imagine something better than the hyperkintetic spectacle John Vreeke has directed for Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company."
Washingtonian - Recommended
"... Pulse-pounding maneuvers, a hip-hop soundtrack, and live and stock wrestling footage projected across the stark set create a distinctive mood; less concrete is the message and tone the show is going for. Strong performances help to distract from muddled commentary on consumerism, racial stereotypes, and cutthroat American values, though they can’t cancel out the blurriness completely. In scenes that could pack a powerful punch as satire, characters play it straight, and within the often ridiculous world of professional wrestling, the effect is significantly dulled. The Hulk Hogans and Dwayne “the Rock” Johnsons have an unspoken agreement with their fans: You accept what we’re doing is totally bogus, and we’ll give you an over-the-top clash of scripted good versus evil. Exploring and lampooning what that says about our society is what makes Chad Deity such a promising premise, and this a largely enjoyable show. It’s the terms of the production’s own bargain with its viewers that aren’t nearly as obvious."
BrightestYoungThings - Highly Recommended
"... The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. Long title, great show. Go see it. Seriously. There's a lot of heart, and a lot of fight in this play. It's one of the few times where every part of a show really comes together. DC should be proud to call Woolly Mammoth Theatre one of it's regional theatres."
The Georgetowner - Highly Recommended
"... It’s, all said and done, exciting, dramatic, you discover again that wrestling, like reality shows, like politics, are amazingly theatrical. And Perez as Mace, the fast-talking Adi Hanash as VP, the amazing Shawn T. Andrew as Deity and veteran Michael Russotto as EKO are like foils and co-conspirators in a story about battles whose scripts have already been written. They make it worth your while."
DramaUrge - Highly Recommended
"... The dynamics of the performance - almost a case study of role playing - are so recognizable that I immediately thought of the dramaturgical approaches to everyday life articulated by sociologist Erving Goffman. Every organization has parts that individuals are assigned, which they portray to the public. In Chad Deity we are given a backstage look into these rules of engagement (usually hidden from view). Substitute your profession, political party, gender, race or national origin, or whatever - we all have elaborate ways of presenting ourselves to initiates while maintaining distance to outsiders. With Chad Deity's incongruous look behind the curtains, we in our seats are all enlightened, and laughing."
BroadwayWorld - Recommended
"... The theme of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s 2012-2013 season is “My Roots, My Revolution.” Kristoffer Diaz’s The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2010) fits this theme well. The cast tasked with bringing it to life, under the direction of Woolly Company Member John Vreeke, largely succeeds in highlighting the strongest aspects of the monologue-heavy script, which focuses, oddly enough, on the world of professional wrestling."