Orson’s Shadow will again loom large upon a New York stage.
Brad Fryman is set to star in the Off-Broadway production from writer-director Austin Pendleton on March 14-31. It will be staged at Theater for the New City, which is located at 155 First Avenue. The cast includes Patrick Hamilton, Luke Hofmaier, Natalie Menna, Kim Taff and Ryan Tramont.
Tickets are $25 with discounted prices for seniors and students. Online purchases may be made at ci.ovationtix.com/35441/production/1194053
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 Laurence Olivier and Joan 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 Vivien 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.
Pendleton’s first Broadway appearance was as Motel in the original cast of Fiddler on the Roof; his first off-Broadway appearance was in Oh Dad, Poor Dad… by Arthur Kopit. Both were directed by Jerome Robbins.
The upcoming performances of Orson’s Shadow at Theater for the New City mark the first time Pendleton has directed his play.
“I’ve worked several times over the years at Theater for the New City,” Pendleton said in a statement on the theater’s website. “Every single one of those times I had a productive, enriching, and exciting time. Crystal (Field, the executive artistic director) provides loving, comprehensive, and productively stern support. It’s wonderful just knowing that her theater is there. And I’ve never seen a show there, either, that wasn’t eminently worth seeing.”
Orson’s Shadow will feature lighting design by Alexander Bartenieff, costume design by Billy Little, sound design by Nick Moore, co-direction by David Schweitzer, and stage management by Jose Ruiz. Robert Greer, Brad Fryman and Ryan Tramont serve as co-producers.
Orson’s Shadow is presented in association with Oberon Theatre Ensemble and Strindberg Rep.
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