Studio Connections Opens New Chapter with THE WHITE CHIP: A Comedy about Hitting Rock Bottom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A critically acclaimed theatrical work is coming to Tucson as Studio Connections presents THE WHITE CHIP by Sean Daniels at St. Francis in the Foothills.
Presented during National Mental Health Month this production carries particular resonance. THE WHITE CHIP is a sharp, funny and redemptive exploration of addiction and recovery. It dismantles stigma while offering a human and unvarnished portrait of the long road toward authentic healing.
“The play recounts Sean’s own rocky journey through alcoholism, from denial to collapse, from recovery to relapse, and ultimately toward redemption,” Writes Director Robert Encila. “It is not a solemn confessional. It is fast, theatrical, and self-aware, exactly what you would expect from someone who has spent his life in rehearsal halls and backstage corridors.”
The three-character work will feature actors Eddie Diaz, Kat Basso and Dante Crossroad. Diaz portrays Daniels himself while Basso and Crossroad transition through multiple characters reflecting many people orbiting Daniels’ life.
“The swift transitions in character and perspective mirror addiction’s distortions and recovery’s hard clarity,” Encila said. “The laughter comes quickly, sometimes at the very moment you feel least comfortable laughing. Then it pivots, landing somewhere unexpectedly honest.”
THE WHITE CHIP made its off-Broadway debut two years ago and earned a New York Times Critic’s Pick. It went on to a celebrated London run at Southwark Playhouse last summer.
“Watching his work resonate across continents confirmed something I had sensed for years,” Enclila said. “Sean Daniels is not simply staging plays. He is helping to shift the conversation around who gets to tell their story and how.”
Encila is bringing this play to life and in the process reviving a theatre company he began over two decades ago. Studio Connections began as a teen summer camp in 2002 before starting a theatre program for young adults in 2005 eventually becoming a full-fledged theatre company with multiple productions per season. The company paused indefinitely while Encila took the opportunity to work as a music director of a touring theatre company in his native Philippines.
“It feels right that Studio Connections begins its new chapter with this story,” Encila said. “Addiction does not live in isolation. It lives in families, friendships, rehearsal rooms, and board meetings. It lives quietly until it does not. To gather as a community and confront that reality together feels both urgent and hopeful.
This is the kind of theatre Studio Connections exists to make. Theatre that builds empathy. Theatre that opens conversation. Theatre that reminds us that restoration is possible.”
The production will be held at St. Francis in the Foothills, 4625 E River Rd. Tickets will be $30 General Admission, $25 Student Admission.