Barrow Street Theater

Orson's Shadow, a play by Austin Pendleton, will begin performances at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street) on Tuesday, March 1st. Official Opening is set for Sunday, March 13th at 5:00 PM. This production is slated for an open-ended run. 

Orson's Shadow is set in 1960, as notorious film director Orson Welles senses his foothold in the screen industry slipping. Coaxed into a new endeavor by theater critic and friend Kenneth Tynan, the directorial giant finds himself at the helm of a West End production of Ionesco’s Rhinoceros starring Laurence Olivier and his paramour Joan Plowright. Olivier’s eccentric wife Vivien Leigh adds to the volatile mix as legendary egos collide on stage and off. A fictional rendering of actual events, Orson's Shadow imagines the circumstances behind the staging of this absurdist masterpiece and reveals the human frailty of these titan personalities. 

Austin Pendleton’s previous plays include Booth and Uncle Bob. Booth has been presented at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Long Wharf, the York Theatre and at the Writers' Theatre in Chicago. As an actor, Pendleton appeared on Broadway in The Diary of Anne Frank. Off-Broadway, he appeared in The Last Sweet Days of Isaac (Obie award), Hamlet, Richard III, Uncle Vanya and others. He has acted extensively in film and television, and is a member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Ensemble. Pendleton will direct the upcoming Off-Broadway revival of Loose Ends. 

Creators
Directed by David Cromer
Set Design by Takeshi Kata
Costume Design by Theresa Squire
Lighting Design by Tyler Micoleau
Sound Design by Jonah Lawrence
Written by: Austin Pendleton

Cast
Susan Bennett
John Judd
Sean McNall
Lee Roy Rogers
Jeff Still
Ian Westerfer

Audience:  Orson's Shadow is appropriate for children aged 12 and over.  Children under 4 years of age will not be admitted into the Barrow Street Theater.

Run time:  2 hours 15 minutes with one 15 minute interval

Show Times