An official selection of both the 2014 Chicago Fringe Festival and the juried New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC), Waiting for Orson is a jazz-infused journey into the inner workings of a mind either devolving into insanity or reaching for enlightenment. Inspired by surreal events, Ian Leahy’s play tells the story of an idealistic young man shattering the closest relationships in his life for the fervent belief that an extraterrestrial will meet him in New York’s Penn Station to deliver a world-changing musical gift.
The cast and crew of Waiting for Orson is made up of Marquette area residents who will take the show on the road from the Upper Peninsula to New York and Chicago. Marquette residents have an opportunity to experience “Orson” before the show goes on the road. The one day only local run will be August 9, 2014 in the community room of the Peter White Public Library. Admission is $15.
Director and Northern Michigan University theatre graduate Rebekah Heldt believes it is important to give area residents an opportunity to experience and support the show. “The Marquette community has always been very supportive of local artists. The opportunity to see the production before we take it on tour is not only a crucial step in our fundraising efforts, but is incredibly important to our cast,” Heldt said. “Everyone involved in our production has called the Marquette area home for many years. We are very proud of the work we’re doing and want to ensure that our community is always the first to see the progress of the show.”
Waiting for Orson’s debut at the 2013 Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, DC attracted large audiences and strong reviews:
“A Visionary, or Crazed, Tale… The strength of Leahy’s play is its fervent belief in something better than the standardized hurly-burly of our modern lives.”
The Washington Post
“An engaging meditation on mysticism, madness, and the confusion between the two… Lovely, poetic language… Never is the play boring… The acting was outstanding and Waiting for Orson is a haunting and worthwhile look at madness from the inside.”
DC Metro Theatre Arts
“Smooth dialogue, meaningful transitions, engaging characters and a believable story… Uses music skillfully and with purpose… Strong supporting actors help drive both humor and action… The play asks good questions and is good theater to boot.”
DC Theatre Scene
“It’s tough to know where to begin praising this show… This is one of the most impressive shows I’ve seen at Fringe… At face value, it’s about a guy who’s probably crazy, but may not be, waiting in a New York subway station for an alien. But it’s also about much, much more. It’s about the way we humans interact with each other on a day-to-day basis. It’s about having faith, in your convictions, in your senses, in your loved ones. It’s about the universe and everything in it. And to be able to cover all that ground and still pull it off is certainly worth the wait.”
Washington City Paper
What:
Waiting for Orson, a play by Ian Leahy, at FringeNYC (60-minute running time)
Where:
New York International Fringe Festival
Connelly Theater – 220 E. 4th Street, New York, NY (East Village)
When:
Monday, August 18 – 2:00 pm
Wednesday August 20 – 7:00 pm
Friday, August 22 – 5:30 pm
Saturday, August 23 – 7:45 pm
Sunday, August 24 – 2:45pm
Featuring:
Tickets:
Instinct Theatre Company, Marquette, Michigan – Director Rebekah Heldt
instincttheatre.com
fringenyc.org or fringeonthefly.com (mobile); $18 in advance
Social Media:
Contact:
Facebook.com/waitingfororson; @waitingfororson; #waitingfororson
waitingfororson.com
Ian Leahy: waitingfororson@gmail.com; 443-743-5405; waitingfororson.com
Rebekah Heldt: 513-417-5037; becky.heldt@gmail.com
About FringeNYC:
The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) is the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues. FringeNYC will celebrate its 18th anniversary August 8-24th, 2014.
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