Dileep Rao Makes NYC Stage Debut In THE AWESOME DANCE

Avatar Star Makes NY Theater Debut in THE AWESOME DANCE. Previews begins September 2 at The Cherry Pit

Dileep Rao (Avatar, Drag Me To Hell and the July release Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio) will make his New York Theater debut in the World Premiere of Nick Starr's THE AWESOME DANCE. Produced by Speranza Theatre Company and directed by Malinda Sorci, previews begin September 2 at The Cherry Pit. Opening night is set for Wednesday, September 8.

THE AWESOME DANCE is a dark comedy that follows four souls through multiple lifetimes. In the first scene, three women seeking a Guru's grace are caught in a fanatic's quest for glory. Later, a man's wife and sister accidentally force him into the path of a distracted driver on the day of his father's funeral. Next, two women waiting for their adoptive child to be born discover a disturbing truth about the birth mother. And finally, a man pursuing the love of a woman he barely knows must first fulfill a terrifying demand. Can four souls bound by lifetimes of mutually inflicted pain find peace?

In addition to Rao, THE AWESOME DANCE also stars Julie Cavaliere and Rachel Cornish. Additional casting and the design team will be announced shortly.

THE AWESOME DANCE was written under the advisorship of Christopher Shinn at The New School for Drama where it received its initial workshop production. The play also received readings at The Blank Theatre in Los Angeles (Artistic Dir. Noah Wyle), and at The Barrow Street Theatre as part of the 2009 Fortnight Festival.

Dileep Rao co-starred in James Cameron's Avatar as Dr. Max Patel opposite Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine. His film credits also include Drag Me to Hell (Sam Raimi), and Inception (Christopher Nolan). His theater credits include Tom Stoppard's Indian Ink (American Premiere, American Conservatory Theater), Making it (World Premiere, South Coast Repertory Theater), Charles Mee's A Perfect Wedding (World Premiere, Kirk Douglas Theater) and Fetes de la Nuit
(World Premiere, Berkeley Repertory Theatre) and the national tour of The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. A native of Los Angeles, Rao is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego and holds an MFA from A.C.T.

Nick Starr's play The Songs of Forgettance won a 2004 LA Weekly Award.. He received his MFA in playwriting from the New School for Drama and teaches screenwriting at SUNY New Paltz. He was an artist in residence at The Center Theatre Group. His play 1000 Blinks A Minute will also be produced by theNest in New York City this Fall.

Speranza Theatre Company was founded in 2008 by Francesca Bove, Rachel Cornish and Heather Wahl. It is a collective group of alumni from the MFA Acting Program at The New School for Drama. Speranza subscribes to an actor-director-playwright collaborative approach to story-telling. Through risk-taking projects that respond to societal issues, Speranza will work to spark audience curiosity and cultivate emerging artists. For more info visit www.speranzatheatrecompany.com.

THE AWESOME DANCE runs September 2-25, Wednesday - Saturday at 8pm with a special matinee (and post-show picnic) on Sunday, Sept. 5 at 5pm. The Cherry Pit is located at 155 Bank Street between West & Washington Streets (accessible from the A.C.E trains at 14th Street). Running time is 70 minutes. Tickets are $18, available at 212-352-3101 or www.TheaterMania.com.