Press contact for Strindberg Rep: Jonathan Slaff, 212-924-0496 or js@jsnyc.com
Press contact for Axial Theater: Dan DeMello, 917-981-0344 or danielwdemello@gmail.com
Theater for the New City presents a remount of “Orson’s Shadow” by Austin Pendleton, directed by Mr. Pendleton and David Schweizer, November 8 to December 1.
Axial Theatre, Oberon Theatre Ensemble, and Strindberg Rep collaborate with Fortify.space and Michael Howard Studios to bring back highly acclaimed production from March, 2024.
The play, set in 1960s London, explores the complex dynamics between legendary figures Orson Welles, Laurence Olivier, and Vivien Leigh as they clash during a theater production. It delves into egos, insecurities, and the pursuit of artistic brilliance, revealing tumultuous backstage drama.
NEW YORK, October 15 — To share a hit show of its Spring season with the largest possible audience, Theater for the New City (TNC), Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director, will remount its production of “Orson’s Shadow,” written by Austin Pendleton and directed by Mr. Pendleton and his longtime close friend and colleague David Schweizer, from November 8 to December 1. The reprise is a production of Axial Theatre, Oberon Theatre Ensemble and Strindberg Rep in association with Fortify.space and Michael Howard Studios.
Originally mounted as an Equity showcase last March by TNC in association with Oberon Theatre Ensemble and Strindberg Rep, it was the first time Mr. Pendleton had ever directed his own work. TNC encourages authors to direct their own plays because it ensures that their philosophy and values are kept intact. The theater is a playground for emerging writers in which they can express divergent views, sometimes unique to themselves, because later productions will allow the director’s view to influence the work.
Reviewers praised TNC’s original OOB mounting March 14 to 31, 2024, as beautifully cast and acted, contemporary, entertaining and insightful. David Soloway, writing in Encore Theatre Reviews, quipped “The play, although it’s called ‘Orson’s Shadow,’ … is really Austin’s Shadow, as Austin Pendleton, so central to theater for so many years, casts his shadow on the stage as a writer.” Soloway deemed the play “the best kind of drama and comedy, one rooted in character, not simply situation with a plot blending reality and speculation.”