Orson’s Shadow, which enjoyed a well-received Off-Broadway run in March, has returned to the New York stage.
Brad Fryman stars as Orson Welles in the production from writer-director Austin Pendleton through December 1. It has returned to theTheater for the New City, which is located at 155 First Avenue. Tickets are $25 with discounted prices for seniors and students. Online purchases may be made at ci.ovationtix.com/35441/production/1216685
The cast includes Ryan Tramont as Laurence Olivier, Natalie Menna as Vivien Leigh, Patrick Hamilton as Kenneth Tynan, and Cady McClain as Joan Plowright.
Set in 1960, Orson’s Shadow takes place on the stage of the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin and later on the stage of The Royal Court Theatre in London. Welles is directing a production of Eugène Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, starring Olivier and Plowright. Olivier is fresh from his triumphant theatrical portrayal of vaudevillian Archie Rice in The Entertainer and is about to reprise the role in its film adaptation. He and Plowright are in the early stages of a romantic liaison and his tumultuous marriage to Leigh is all but ended. The noted British theater critic, Kenneth Tynan, becomes entangled in the conflicts between Welles, Olivier, and Leigh, adding tension and complexity to their relationships and influencing their decisions and perceptions.
Pendleton’s play was lauded during its first production at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago nearly a quarter century ago and its New York debut at Barrow Street Theater in 2005. His other stage works include Booth and Uncle Bob.
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