This New Play on Marriage, Politics and Professional Wrestling Will Change Humanity (Or it might not)
Guest post by Laurence Davis, writer of Masters of Puppets, a new play at the Legacy Theatre in Branford, CT
Cutthroat politics. Jaded billionaires. Kabuki marriage. Media brinksmanship. Unthinkable scandal. Professional wrestling. What do these things all have in common? I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is, yes, they’re all the subject of my new play Masters of Puppets, opening May 26th at The Legacy Theatre.
This whole project has been a collaboration with my friend and producer, the actor and serial name-changer James Roday Rodriguez. He and I have long shared a passion for classical theater and the works of playwrights like Moliere, Churchill, Pinter, Shakespeare, Strindberg, Ibsen, Ionesco, Euripides, and, you know, the rest of them. Sure, those lofty scribes tackled the juicy themes of love, violence, and power, but — we pondered — had they ever wrestled with all that and a chokeslam, suplex, plus a chair shot to the head? We had our people do the research, and the answer was they did not.
Together we set out to tell a story about pro wrestling that goes beyond the established tropes of the squared circle. The results of our endeavor are about to unfurl with the help of some of the greatest television character actors that you will ever convince to do a limited run in Connecticut.
James and I are both long-time fans of pro wrestling, I’ve even worked briefly behind the scenes for a promotion. Part of our journey in crafting Masters of Puppets was coming up with a story that could explore why it was possible for us to love Hamlet and Hammerlocks at the same time.
We wondered, what does Macbeth look like behind the curtain of the wrestling world? What’s Succession look like from the bowels of a wrestling show at Madison Square Garden? Could we pull off a Grand Guignol grappling fever dream that all takes place behind the curtain? Was it possible to send-up the Business and at the same time give empathetic portrayals of those that devote their lives (and risk them) for the fans? What tragicomic fireworks could we pull off by imagining what might happen if one night a wrestling empire, political fortunes, billions of dollars, and human lives are all on the line?
Do we pull it off? Do we even come close? We dare you to come to the theater, laugh your skulls off and get the shock of your lives.
For more information, visit www.LegacyTheatreCT.org
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Laurence Davis is the playwright of Masters of Puppets, currently in rehearsal at The Legacy Theatre, and will begin performances on May 25 and run through June 11, 2023.
Described as a fictionalized no holds barred look at the dirty underbelly of professional wrestling, Masters of Puppets is a riveting drama that takes you from the corner office to the top turnbuckle. The play features a starry cast that includes Dana Ashbrook (Showtime’s Twin Peaks), Amanda Detmer (Fox’s Empire), Kurt Fuller (CBS’s Evil), Michael Hogan (Fox’s The Resident), Michael Bobenhausen (“Imposters”) and Joshua W. Heggie (Big River). The new play is being presented as a World Premiere by TV’s James Roday Rodriguez (“A Million Little Things,” “Psych”) at the Legacy Theatre.
