“You know what I did this morning? I played the voice of a toy. Some terrible robot toys from Japan that changed from one thing to another. I play a planet.”
Orson Welles, 1985
Mercury Man (Dramatic Hat Productions) follows the highs and lows of the man who was surely the most interesting Hollywood figure of the 20th century, Orson Welles.
The show is set in a recording studio where Welles is preparing to record a handful of lines for a feature-length toy commercial. This is, of course, based on actual events. In reality Welles, his health already failing, showed up late, left early and turned in a sickly, nigh-unusable performance. The play imagines a slightly spryer Welles (Rod McTaggart) showing up early and killing time by conversing with a young studio intern (Cora Matheson) whose star-struck enthusiasm sets Welles talking about the meteoric rise and fall of his career.
As Welles talks about his past, the other two members of the cast take over in vignettes featuring a fresh-faced young Welles (Joel Pettigrew) and producer and longtime Welles collaborator John Houston (Adrian Gorrissen)
Matheson does an admirable job as the young intern, but McTaggart, Pettigrew and Gorrissen put in performances that transcend the humble venue and reach for true greatness. Pettigrew’s performance perfectly captures the manic brilliance of the young genius at the top of his game, while McTaggart’s Orson projects a lifetime of resentment and crushed dreams but lets through glimpses of a man who truly loves his art. Both actors are incredible, but perhaps even more impressive is Gorrissen, who turns in a wonderfully emotional performance as the put-upon producer.
This is not a show to miss.
Show Times:
18 Jul Thu @ 9:00 PM
20 Jul Sat @ 2:00 PM
21 Jul Sun @ 6:00 PM
24 Jul Wed @ 5:30 PM
25 Jul Thu @ 7:30 PM
27 Jul Sat @ 10:30 PM
28 Jul Sun @ 2:00 PM
Cast: Cora Matheson, Rod McTaggart, Joel Pettigrew, Adrian Gorrissen
Production Manager Christina Hoxson
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Shan Fernando
