Two titans of cinema are remembered in the Chicago Street Theatre production of “Orson’s Shadow,” set for an April 8-23 run.
Orson Welles, an influential director, and Laurence Olivier, a revered actor, are portrayed in 1960, when their “time in the spotlight had faded,” according to promotional material from the theater company.
In “Orson’s Shadow,” playwright Austin Pendleton spins a tale that mixes drama and humor.
The premise revolves around a proposal by theater critic Kenneth Tynan that suggests Welles and Olivier can recapture their clout and fame by joining forces in “Rhinoceros,” a surreal, fringe comedy, which the pair of actors actually tackled in real life.
In Chicago Street’s play, Welles directs, Olivier stars, with “Rhinoceros” also featuring Olivier’s mistress, Joan Plowright.
Entrusted with the role of Welles in the Valparaiso presentation is George Maslankowski of La Porte.
Also a noted actor, producer and writer, Welles remains an imposing Hollywood icon.
Maslankowski must flesh out both his bold and gentler sides.
“He’s a very brilliant mind; also a giant ego and presence,” Maslankowski said. “He directed ‘Citizen Kane.’ “
Released in 1941, “Citizen Kane” is often ranked among the greatest movies of all time by established film critics.
Welles also is known for creating some panic among the public with his 1938 radio dramatization of the H.G. Wells’ novel “The War of the Worlds.”
It was realistic enough to cause a large segment of his American audience to believe that a Martian invasion actually was occurring.
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Another vibrant aspect of Welles’ life was the fact that his spouse was 1940s movie star and sex symbol, Rita Hayworth.
“He did do a lot of television,” Maslankowski also noted.
Such massive exposure among the public tends to fix the image of the luminary in the psyche of the masses. “It’s always complicated when you play somebody who’s really well known,” Maslankowski said.
The upside is that Welles’ life is generations removed from the public eye, and not particularly contemporary.
From an actor’s standpoint, that factor provides some respite in taking on the role of a well known artist.
“It’s much more difficult for a current personality,” Maslankowski reasoned.
Also handling a role of a vaunted star is Valparaiso’s Mary DeBoer, who plays Vivien Leigh, the British wife of Olivier. She’s shown in “Orson’s Shadow” at a time in her life when she is struggling to retain her sanity.
“I’ve been watching different things that she’s done -— read a lot of stuff about her,” said Boer, alluding to her preparation for the part. “It’s a really good theatrical experience; you really stretch yourself.
“I want to honor her memory and her image with a little bit of my own interpretation,” DeBoer said.
Aside from twice snaring Academy Awards for Best Actress, Leigh dealt with a rocky relationship with Olivier, while also battling mental illness.
“She was manic depressive,” DeBoer said.
The trio of cinematic powerhouses in the play provides rich layers of storytelling for “Orson’s Shadow,” which has Friday and Saturday shows during its engagement, in addition to performances on April 17 and April 21.
Chicago Street Theatre’s website states the that play “crackles with absurdity” as formidable personalities “collide in this witty depiction of life, genius and the drama of theatre.”
Director Bob Cooley, a Hobart resident, said in the news release that the audience’s basic entertainment stems from “watching Welles and Olivier’s titanic egos battle it out” as they seek “control of this ship that isn’t all that seaworthy.”
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance writer.
‘Orson’s Shadow’
Where: Chicago Street Theatre, 154 W. Chicago St., Valparaiso
When: 8 p.m. April 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23; 2:30 p.m. April 17
Tickets: Adults $20; students and senior citizens $17; front-row couch seats $30
Information: 219-464-1636, ext. 1; chicagostreet.org