Steve Valentine joins the cast in the role of EKO. One more actor remains to be announced. This West Coast premiere "will allow both playwright and director to delve deeper into this still new work," according to Geffen.

Chad Deity has already been lauded with the 2011 New York Times Play Prize, the Obie Award for Best New American Play and the Lucille Lortel Award for Best New Play.

Set in the wild world of exhibition wrestling, the play "slams together thrilling spectacle, incredible characters and geopolitical allegory into an invigorating theatrical experience you can't find on pay-per-view," according to Geffen notes. "A smack-down of a play, [it] tackles racism [and] drop-kicks globalization."

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity had its world premiere in 2009 at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago before moving to Second Stage in New York. Both productions were directed by Torres.

Opening night is Sept. 7. Performances continue to Oct. 9.

The production team includes set designer Brian Sidney Bembridge, costume designer Christina Haatainen Jones, lighting designer Jesse Klug, sound designer Mikhail Fiksel, projection designer Peter Nigrini, fight choreographer David Woolley and production stage manager Young Ji.

For more information, visit geffenplayhouse.com.