Founded in 1997, Oberon is an off-off Broadway nonprofit theatre company.
Now in our 27th season, we have produced over 60 full-length productions and more than 100 staged readings of original plays. Oberon now has two dozen active members and many more regular collaborators, including award-winning actors, playwrights, directors and designers.

SPECIAL LIMITED ENGAGEMENT: Orson's Shadow

November 8 - December 1, 2024
Tuesdays-Saturdays at 8pm. Plus Saturday 2pm and Sundays at 3pm
(Please Note: NO PERFORMANCES Thurs. Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving), and Sat. Afternoon November 30. There is an 8pm performance Saturday, November 30!)

Written by Austin Pendleton | Directed by Austin Pendleton & David Schweizer | Originally Conceived by Judith Auberjonois

In 1960, Orson Welles directed Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright in Eugene Ionesco’s RHINOCEROS. See the sparks fly as egos clash, secrets revealed, and legends collide. Austin Pendleton’s acclaimed play returns to New York City to celebrate its 25th year in a revised version directed by the author. 

ABOUT THE PLAY
“Orson’s Shadow,” based on true events, takes place on the stage of the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin and later on the stage of the Royal Court Theatre. In his declining years, Orson 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 John Osborne’s “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 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. The play debates the merits of stage versus screen, the internal struggle that theatrical performers endure when contemplating a leap to films, and the ways the studio system frustrated the careers of individual artists. It is also a study of theatrical egos, each of the protagonists living more on the stage than in real life, each one feeling insecure while jockeying for power.

Cast:
Brad Fryman, Patrick Hamilton, Luke Hofmaier, Cady McClain, Natalie Menna, and Ryan Tramont

Co-Directors: Austin Pendleton and David Schweizer
Stage Manager: Bill Carlton
Lighting Design: Alexander Bartenieff
Sound Design/Composer: Nick Moore
Costume Design: Billy Little

Tickets are $25 or $15 for Students and Seniors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS OR CALL 212-254-1109

Presented in the Johnson Theater at Theater for the New City
155 First Ave. (Between 9th & 10th St.)
New York, NY 10003

Unable to attend, but want to donate toward future productions? CLICK HERE

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Oberon Theatre Ensemble is an active player in New York’s independent theatre community. Each season we combine classic, contemporary, and new works in a format that allows each to highlight and enhance the other. We juxtapose new against old in a single evening or in a repertory schedule, with our ensemble of actors and directors nimbly jumping from one world to another to draw our audiences fully into the experience.

We believe in the joy of a well told story, the connection offered by a supportive community, and the magic of the theatre. Oberon actively works to share this magic with others by reaching out to the community. We offer discounted student and senior tickets to our performances, and create shows that we can bring to schools, senior centers, and hospitals. We have also presented shows free in Central Park and strive to keep all our offerings affordable.

Our commitment to cultivating and invigorating a diverse theatre community remains steadfast.  In a time when Off-Broadway theatres are closing, ensemble theatre groups are all but unheard of, arts funding largely nonexistent, and theatres both large and small focused on finding the next big commercial hit, Oberon remains your community performance arts theatre.