Lenin D’Anthony Izquierdo and More to Star in THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO at Goodman
The cast features Julissa Calderon, Rossmery Almonte and more.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Dec. 18, 2025
The Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Critics Circle Award-winning novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is coming to Chicago in a new English-language stage adaptation by Marco Antonio Rodríguez, continuing The Goodman’s Centennial 2025/26 Season.
Directed by Wendy Mateo, the world-premiere English adaptation features a majority-Dominican cast—including Humboldt Park native Lenin D’Anthony Izquierdo (NBC’s Chicago Fire) as the titular Oscar, Julissa Calderon (Netflix’s Gentefied), Rossmery Almonte (HBO's Gordita Chronicles), Yohanna Florentino (Intar Theatre’s Vámonos), Kelvin Grullon (Theaterworks Hartford’s Queen of Basel), Jalbelly Guzmán (A Christmas Carol) and Arik Vega (Clyde’s). Understudies will be announced at a later date. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao appears February 21 through April 5, 2026 (opening night is March 2) in the 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre.
“I feel immense gratitude and excitement for this extraordinary cast. Their talent and dedication make me confident that the world-premiere will bring the story’s heart, humor and heartbreak to life in ways I’ve only imagined,” said playwright Marco Antonio Rodríguez, who also wrote and directed the Spanish-language production, La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao, which premiered in 2019 at New York’s Repertorio Español (and currently appears in selected dates). “Watching these actors breathe life into beloved characters is thrilling and humbling. Their commitment and artistry reassure me that this adaptation won’t just be a play, but a living, breathing celebration of identity, resilience and hope.”
Oscar (Lenin D’Anthony Izquierdo) knows that a nerdy Dominican college freshman isn’t anyone’s idea of a romantic hero. But with the encouragement of Yunior (Kelvin Grullon), his new roommate, he is determined to give love another chance. As Oscar sets out from New Jersey to Santo Domingo to prove his undeniable hope, can he shake the dark “fukú” that has haunted his family for generations? Junot Díaz’s novel comes to vivid life in this English-language world-premiere adaption—a celebration of risk and the power of perseverance against all odds.
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