Literature to Life Premieres New Actor in New York City
Literature to Life To Premiere The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz at United Palace on October 5, 2026
NEW YORK, NY, September 23, 2026 —Literature to Life (LTL) is thrilled to announce the debut performance of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz with its newest actor, Jean Perez. The community performance will take place at United Palace in Upper Manhattan on October 5, 2026 at 7:00pm. This title is adapted by Co-Founding Artistic Director, Elise Thoron and directed by Kelvin Grullon.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a Pulitzer-Prize winning novel that presents readers with an astonishing vision of Dominican-American history, exploring the endless human capacity to persevere and risk it all in the name of love. LTL’s adaptation tells the story through the eyes of Oscar’s unlikely friend, Yunior. Through this exploration of brotherhood, fantasy stories, and what it means to be a “Dominican man,” this adaptation allows audiences to understand the culture of fear and violence that resulted from Trujillo's 30+ years dictatorship of the Dominican Republic, and the importance of facing fear with love. The title has been on LTL’s roster for 15 years and is one of its most popular.
Get tickets to the performance here.
LTL’s newest actor, Jean Perez, embodies a range of characters from this novel, bringing Díaz’ words to life in an emotional and lively solo performance. Perez is a Dominican-American actor & filmmaker from The Bronx, New York, whose work is committed to bold and authentic storytelling, fusing genre with truth. He brings presence, depth, and emotional truth, with a passion for exploring narratives that highlight culture, resilience, and the complexity of the human spirit. As Co-Founder of Altagracia Productions, he aims to reclaim narrative power, elevate his community, and leave a legacy that guides and inspires the next generation of storytellers.
"I'm honored to have the opportunity to work alongside such an incredible company and group of artists to bring this performance to life,” says Perez. “Working on The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao as a solo performance has been an incredibly meaningful experience. It not only reflects the dedication and work that Director Kelvin Grullon and I have invested in bringing this story to the stage, but also gives us the opportunity to share a story that holds such deep meaning within Dominican culture.
Performing at the United Palace is another dream come true for me. It has always been my neighborhood theater and a place of tremendous importance to the arts and community uptown. I remember bringing my mother there to see Juan Luis Guerra a few years ago, and now having her watch me perform in the same theater feels like a true full circle moment. To share this experience with her, in a place that has been part of our community for so long, makes this opportunity especially meaningful."
The story is directed by Kelvin Grullon, who was the actor for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao for seven years. He is thrilled to still have a hand in this piece, only now it’s in a different capacity.
"I am feeling overjoyed, it is just wondrous,” says Grullon. “This story has given so much to me, as an actor, as an artist, as a human, and I am excited to have been working with it again, this time from the Director's chair. Working with Jean has been a ball. He's a dedicated actor and collaborator, which made our arduous process smooth and absolutely filled with Dominican joy.
Having done the piece myself for 7 years, I know exactly what it's like to be in his shoes, everything that it takes, and it's so cool to witness his growth in the piece; to witness him arriving to the places I knew he'd get to, and to also surprise me! Perhaps most of all, to watch him make it his own; it's his Yunior, his Oscar, and I'm merely the humble guide."
LTL’s adaptation of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is now available for booking and touring to schools and communities across the country in 2026 and beyond. For booking inquiries, please visit literaturetolife.org/contact.
Literature to Life (LTL) is a performance-based literacy organization that presents professionally staged verbatim adaptations of American literary classics. Initially conceived as the educational program of the renowned American Place Theatre, LTL is now an independent organization with a mission to perform great books that inspire young people to read and become authors of their own lives.With a roster of books by authors such as Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Junot Díaz, Kao Kalia Yang, and more, LTL performs nationally in performing arts centers, schools, libraries, and correctional facilities.
To learn more about Literature to Life, visit literaturetolife.org or find LTL on social media @lit2life.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Alyssa Monte, Marketing and Outreach Manager, Literature to Life
Email: alyssa.m@literaturetolife.org